Destiny
by Kittymui
Summary: Inuyasha and Kagome share an unforgettable childhood together. Then one day, they were forced to separate because Kagome had to move away. Will they ever meet again? Will they recognize each other if they do? AU and InuxKag
1. A flower called Kagome

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline.  
**  
AUTHOR'S NOTE (MUST READ!!!**):  
Hi everybody!! It's been a while, I hope you are all doing fine ^-^! As for me, yeah it's about time I posted this story. Okay enough of the chatter, let's get down to business ^o^! Below are several things you need to know before reading this story. This is just in case some of you overwhelm me with question ^-^.  
  
First of all I don't know if Sesshoumaru, Miroku, Sango, Shippou or Kirara are going to be in this story. Maybe I'll be able to find some roles for them, and maybe I won't, who knows?   
Second of all, this story takes place somewhere between the Sengoku Jidai (Warring Age) and the future. Oh and Kagome isn't from the future. And I guess you can fill in the rest for yourselves...no sealing Inuyasha, no reincarnations, no one-armed Sesshoumaru (if he's going to show up in this story that is) etcetera unless...I say it happens ^-^. So in short, this is a complete Alternate Universe. I'll try to keep Inuyasha as original as possible but Kagome is most definitely OOC and I'm sure you'll notice the same for some other characters.   
  
By the way, have some of you seen the preview (subbed) of the 3rd Inuyasha movie? (Tenka Hadou no Ken - Sword to Rule the World). Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's father is SO HOT!!! And the story is SO COOOL in spite of the fact that there'll be little romance scenes between Inuyasha and Kagome. Anyway, he's going to appear in this first chapter so I'm going to try my best to describe him ^-^!! Oh by the way!! Although she isn't going to appear in this story, I've found out about the name of Inuyasha's mother, her name is Izayoi ^-^!!  
  
I've cleaned up my whole mailing list after I finished my last story (An Elves' Child). Those who wish to be noticed when a new chapter is posted of this story, just ask using a review or by emailing me personally ^-^!!  
  
This is it! Just sit back and enjoy reading this story. Please do leave a review behind to tell me what you think or you can ask me questions when something's wrong or unclear. Thanks in advance!!  
  
~*~   
_  
Italic_: thoughts   
-- --: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~: time gap OR change of perspective  
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**   
  
-by Kittymui-  
  
**A flower called Kagome and the girl named after it**

  


~*~ afternoon ~*~  


  
It was a warm afternoon, with the bright sun hanging high up in the azure colored sky. Trees waved along with kind breezes as birds decreased their altitudes and made their way toward the roof of the big white mansion that stood in the middle of the forest.   
  
A first glance on the mansion would immediately tell you about the wealth of its inhabitants. Not to mention the huge courtyard that belonged to it. And there was this wooden fence surrounding the mansion and its courtyard, built to keep out ones who weren't welcome. All of this was built with a Japanese flavor.  
  
~*~  
  
The birds that were resting on the edge of the brown roof spread out all over the sky again as one of the inhabitants of the mansion exited the building. His silver hair billowed on the wind, together with his red garments. The white dog-ears on top of his head twitched at hearing the sounds created by Mother Nature as he closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of flowers and grass.  
  
With the age of 14, he was the youngest lord of the mansion. They say the youngest siblings always get pampered the most, but unfortunately it didn't apply to this young lad. The fact that he wasn't a fullblood gave him a tough past and caused him to shut himself off for those who attempted to enter his personal space.  
  
He shielded his eyes with his clawed hand from the bright sunlight as he descended the wooden steps that separated the courtyard from the mansion. A scowl appeared on his face as he saw the fence around the huge courtyard, which he knew all too well.  
  
Not wanting to stay there any longer, he quickly made his way through the place and entered the forest.  


  
~*~

  
-- somewhere in the forest --  


  
  
After settling himself comfortable on the thick branch of his favorite tree near a creek, he closed his eyes. He was now lying on his side, his body spread out on the branch, with one arm curled to form a prop for his head and the other resting on his side. Several silver tresses rested on his shoulder while the rest dangled in the air behind his back.  
  
A low growl escaped from his throat as the scene of this morning replayed before his very mind again.

  
[FLASHBACK]  


  
He was standing in a large chamber with bookcases standing against each wall and a huge desk standing at the center of the room. A beautiful red carpet could be seen on the floor, which should be giving the chamber a warm feeling to anyone who entered it. Yet he felt quite the opposite as he stood right across the Taiyoukai, who was looking at him from behind the desk; the one whom he should refer to as his father.  
  
Long silver hair and golden eyes. Yes, they were definitely related, but those were the only things they had in common. Unlike Inuyasha, his father's hair was tied into a high ponytail. And unlike his older (half) brother, Inuyasha didn't get to inherit the two pairs of thick dark marks on each side of his face and the crescent moon mark that could be seen on his father's face.   
[**AN**: Unlike Sesshoumaru, the dark marks on the cheeks of their father are more roughly drawn and thicker. They look...as if someone had been painting them with a paintbrush and a trembling hand ^o^. The more they approach the ears, the thicker they become. Oh right, they're kind of like the marks on Inuyasha's cheeks when he becomes berserk ^-^.]  
  
The gaze between the two similar pairs of golden orbs was soon broken as the Taiyoukai cleared his throat and looked down at the documents before him. "Now that there is only the two of us, would you mind explaining to me why you had to send the son of my guest flying across the room while it was only a friendly duel?" his low voice sounded through the room.  
  
The boy remained silent.  
  
"Answer me, Inuyasha!" his father growled, losing his patience.   
  
Inuyasha frowned. "You call that friendly?!" he defended. "Why do you always have to blame me, your own son, for anything that goes wrong!??"  
  
The Taiyoukai sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose to suppress the upcoming headache.   
  
"Look! You're not listening again! It's all your fault to start with!! You're the one who married a human!! And now you're blaming me for defending myself against those who point at me and mock me for not being full-blooded???" he argued angrily.  
  
"Enough...you are dismissed. Go to your chamber." his father groaned, still rubbing te bridge of his nose.  
  
"Why do you even bother lecturing me anyway, you don't even care about me! Why don't you spend more time lecturing Sesshoumaru?? He's the one worthy enough to follow your footsteps and inherit everything...NOT me__"  
  
"I SAID ENOUGH!! DO YOU HEAR ME!! NOW GET OUT!!" his father cut him off with a threatening growl.  
  
Without second thought, Inuyasha left the room, leaving his furious father behind.  


  
[END FLASHBACK]  


  
"Humpf!" he snorted as he sat up with his back facing the main branch of the three. He slowly opened his eyes again, only to find himself facing a small squirrel.  
  
He frowned as he watched the curious creature. "Are you going to make fun of me too!?" he growled and slapped the squirrel off the branch with one swift swing of his hand.  
  
"Feh! That'll teach ya!!" he smirked after perceiving a small thud from below.  


  
Suddenly a very annoying scent reached his keen nose. _Wolves huh...? They better not come this way or I'll rip them apart to vent my anger._ he thought determined.  
  
His white dog-ears perked up as a girl's voice could be heard from a distance.  
  
"D-don't come near me!! Leave me alone...or I'll jump!!"  
  
Shortly after that, the sound of something falling into water echoed through the forest.  


  
*SPLASH*  


  
Inuyasha jumped from the branch and approached the creek. _It's coming this way... _ he concluded, sniffing the air.  
  
Then something caught his eye. It was a girl, struggling to remain above the water surface as it dragged her downward and prevented her from reaching the bank.  
  
"H-help!! I...I c-can't...swim!!!" she managed to cry before she got swallowed by the current again.  
  
Without hesitation, Inuyasha jumped into the creek and grabbed the girl by her waist before he jumped out of it again. He rudely dropped her onto the grass as soon as he set foot on it again. Just when he was about to give her a piece of his mind, he was cut off when the girl spat out some of the creek water and started to cough.  
  
"T-thank...you..." she said while coughing.  
  
Inuyasha crossed his arms and stuck up his nose. "Keh! Stupid girl, why did you even jump into the creek if you knew you can't swim??" he spat.  
  
"I-I..." she began as she coughed less hard than before. "...rather drown...than be some wolf tribe's prince's bride..."  
  
_True..._ Inuyasha agreed inwardly, not wanting her to know that he shared the same opinion.   
  
When he slowly looked at the girl out of the corner of his eye, he found that she had raised her gaze and was looking straight at him.  
  
_She looks around my age...probably younger..._ he thought to himself.  
  
Her dark blue eyes were almost depthless and the wet bangs and tresses of her raven black hair that framed her face made her kind of...pretty. Yeah...pretty was the word to describe the girl who was still kneeling on the grass and staring at him.   
  
He didn't notice before but the girl was actually prettier than he had imagined when he only heard her voice several minutes ago.  
  
Inuyasha quickly shook off the thought and mentally smacked himself for finding a human girl pretty. _What the hell am I thinking?! I'm not going to follow the steps of my father!!_ he scolded himself, averting his gaze.  
  
When he still felt her eyes on him, he turned to look at her again, but this time with a scowl on his face. "What the hell are you looking at!?" he growled.  
  
The girl was slightly taken aback by his sudden outburst but she didn't avert her gaze. Instead, her gaze moved upward to the white dog-ears on his head. "Kawaii..." she whispered softly, which was still audible for Inuyasha's excellent hearing.  
  
Inuyasha quickly turned aside to hide the blush that was about to appear on his cheeks and 'Feh'-ed. "Watch your tongue, human!"  
  
"I-I'm sorry..." she apologized as she averted her gaze and got to her feet again.   
  
Not being able to suppress her curiosity, her eyes automatically moved to the dog-ears again as she straightened her yellow yukata, which had red flowers embroidered on it here and there. "C-can I...touch them...?" she suddenly blurted out before she knew it.  
  
Inuyasha widened his eyes and gave her a dumbfounded look. _First she thinks my ears are cute and now she wants to touch them!?!?_ he thought shocked._ That's it...I'm outta here!_   
  
With that he turned around and started to walk away.  
  
"Wait!!" the girl halted him.  
  
Inuyasha stopped walking and sighed.  
  
"Can you tell me your name?" she asked.  
  
He looked over his shoulder, only to find her looking at him with puppy eyes.   


  
"It's Inuyasha." he finally replied after a short silence.  
  
The girl smiled. "Well then, Inuyasha. Can you please stay here and wait until I come back?" she asked.  
  
Inuyasha turned around and gave her a surprised look.  
  
"I promise it won't take too long, please?" she pleaded with those puppy eyes again.  
  
Before he could even object, she already disappeared into the woods.  
  
_Great..._ he thought as he walked towards his favorite tree and jumped onto his branch. He laid on his side and propped his head on his hand. _Oh well, since I have to wait for my clothes to dry before I go home... _he decided, closing his eyes.  


  
~*~*~  


  
_I fell asleep..._ Inuyasha groaned inwardly as he slowly opened his eyes. He sat up and looked up to the orange-colored sky. _It's almost dusk already..._ he realized and looked around. _She didn't come back...Keh! I knew humans couldn't be trusted...Stupid me!_ he mentally scolded himself as he stood up and jumped off the branch. _Maybe she was getting reinforcements to capture me...to make me her pet or something... She did look like some rich lord's daughter._ Inuyasha mused as the thought sent shivers through his body. He quickly shook off the thought and flexed his claws. _Well, if that's the case, I won't hesitate to rip them all apart!_ he grinned.  
  
Inuyasha examined his clothes. "Well, they're dry...I guess I should be heading back home now..." he said nonchalantly and turned to leave, until a voice suddenly called out his name.  
  
"Inuyasha!!!"  
  
He turned to the voice and realized it was the girl again. He frowned. _What the...I can smell blood coming from her..._ he thought disturbed. His thoughts were cut off when a very sweet yet enjoyable scent reached his nose.  
  
When he traced the origin of it, he saw it was coming from the flower that the girl was holding in her hand.   
  
She moved her hand with the flower towards Inuyasha. "This is for you," she smiled. "to thank you for saving me."  
  
It was a flower that looked like an Iris at first glance, but it was different, the petals were slightly bigger and blue of color with white edges.  
  
Inuyasha lowered his gaze, but he wasn't looking at the flower when he raised his hand to retrieve it; he was looking at the girl's hand, which was filled with cuts and gashes. _Those cuts...they're fresh wounds..._ he concluded.  


  
Noticing his gaze, the girl quickly hid her hands under her sleeves. "I-it's nothing...I was clumsy...a-and I fell," she stuttered.  
  
He knew she was lying but did not find the need to ask her why. _Why aren't you thanking her, you moron!?_ His little conscience cried.  
  
_Shut up! She jumped in the creek at the first place so it's obvious she should reward me!_ he argued mentally.  
  
Before Inuyasha and his conscience had finished arguing he realized that the girl had already began to leave.  
  
"Where are you going?" he suddenly asked, not knowing why.  
  
The girl turned around. "It's late, I should be heading home now. It was nice meeting you Inuyasha." she smiled and bowed politely before turning her back to him again.   
  
"At least give me your name, now that I've told you mine!" he cried annoyed, causing her to turn to him again.  
  
"I'm named after the flower I gave you!" she replied cheerfully and ran away before Inuyasha could halt her again.  


  
He shifted his gaze from where the girl had disappeared to the flower in his hand. _Great...how am I going to find out what this flower is called?_ he thought irritated and grunted. _Keh! What do I care what her name is...maybe I should just throw it away!_   
  
_You might not want to hear this but you're a real jerk if you did that._ the little voice in his head spoke again.  
  
_ Oh will you just shut up?!_ Inuyasha snarled back mentally. _ It's mine now...so I do what I want to do with it!_  
  
_If you say so...but that still doesn't change the fact that you're a real jerk if you threw it away!_ it replied casually.  
  
Inuyasha grunted. _All right!! If that's the only way to shut you up!_ he gave in growling and started to leave the area.  
  
_See? I won...I won..._ the voice teased.  
  
Inuyasha growled and stretched out his hand with the flower. _One more word from you and I will___ he threatened.  
  
_Ok, ok, shutting up..._   
  
After that, he silently continued his walk through the forest back to the mansion where he lived.  


  
~*~*~*~  


  
After dinner, Inuyasha immediately excused himself from the table and retreated to his bedroom.  
  
It was a pretty big bedroom for a boy of his age. White walls and carpeting. There was a huge bed at the end of the room, made of dark wood of the best quality. The sheets were white and the blanket and pillows were dark red of color, which almost completely matched the color of his clothes. There were a couple of bookcases standing against the walls. Even the nightstand and wardrobes were made of the same excellent material.  
  
He made his way to the rectangular balcony and settled himself comfortable on the balustrade. His position on the marble balustrade was similar to the one back in the forest, when he was taking a nap on the thick branch of his favorite tree. His left hand was propping his head while the other took the flower out of his sleeve.  
  
_I wonder what this flower is called..._ he pondered as he examined it.  
  
~*~  
  
"My my...what an extraordinary flower..." a voice sounded from behind him.   
  
Inuyasha looked over his shoulder and realized it was just a servant.  
  
It was a woman twice his age, dressed in a black robe with a white collar. She had long brown curly hair and blue eyes.   
  
"Don't you knock!?" he growled, turning to the flower again.  
  
"I have, my lord...but you must have been too intrigued by the flower's beauty to have heard me knock on your door." she giggled as she approached the young lord.  
  
"Tell this to another soul and I'll have you executed by dawn." he growled, slightly embarrassed.  
  
"Don't worry my lord, your secret is safe with me." the servant replied obediently.  
  
A moment of silence took place as Inuyasha continued to examine the flower. "What can you tell me about this flower?" he finally asked the servant, who was still standing at a small distance behind him.  
  
"May I look at the flower more closely my lord?" she asked politely.  
  
Inuyasha didn't reply nor turn around, instead, he raised the flower up to the air until it was completely visible to the servant behind him.  
  
"Oh my..." the servant started. "...if I'm not mistaking, which I'm sure I'm not, this must be the flower called Kagome. My lord, where did you get such a rare flower?" she asked surprised.  
  
"None of your business," Inuyasha replied, lowering his hand with the flower again. _So the girl's name is Kagome..._ he thought to himself. "Tell me more about this flower called Kagome," he ordered after realizing that the servant had fallen silent.  
  
"Yes my lord. As I have already said, it is a very rare flower. And from what I've been told, it should only bloom once in a century," she explained. "And because of its rarity, this flower has a very peculiar property...you see...it tends to only show its true beauty after midnight, when the animals of the night start to leave their hiding places to hunt."  
  
"But I also heard that this flower is quite dangerous." she added after a moment of silence.  
  
Inuyasha frowned bewildered and looked more carefully at the stem of the flower. _But it doesn't have any thorns..._ he thought.  
  
"Don't be fooled by the innocence of this flower for not having any thorns, my young lord," the servant continued, drawing Inuyasha's attention again. "For it isn't the flower that poses a threat to those who wishes to possess its beauty. Rather, it is the bush where this flower blooms that's responsible for all the scars and gashes. Its vines and sharp thorns, which try their best to protect its only flower, can even cut through my young lord's fire rat's fur if not being careful."  
  
Inuyasha widened his eyes as he remembered the cuts and gashes on the girl's hands and recalled her excuse.   
  
"I-it's nothing...I was clumsy...a-and I fell..."   
  
"Keh! Stupid girl..." he mumbled under his breath, inaudible to the servant.  
  
"My lord, if you can forgive my curiosity...who gave you that flower?" she asked.  
  
Inuyasha scowled. "I picked it myself," he lied.  
  
"Not good at lying as always my lord," she chuckled. "There's no way you could have picked it up without at least having a single cut on your hands. Why don't you just__"  
  
"Don't act as if you know me, because you don't!" he snapped. "I've heard enough, you're dismissed."  
  
Before the servant could say anything else, she was cut off again by a threatening growl.   
  
"And don't let me repeat myself."  
  
"I understand. I bid you goodnight my lord." she obeyed, bowing deeply and turning to the door to leave.  
  
"Wait!" Inuyasha suddenly halted her. "Bring me a fitting vase for the flower, filled with the right amount of water. But don't tell anyone about this or you'll regret it," he ordered.  
  
"Yes my lord. I'll be right back." the servant replied before leaving the room.  
  
After hearing the sound of the door closing, Inuyasha turned his attention to the flower again. _Won't show your true beauty until midnight huh?_ he thought, slightly amused.   
Inuyasha looked up at the dark starry sky. _It should be midnight soon..._ he concluded.  
  
He growled when the comfortable silence was broken again by the sound of the door opening.   
  
"Here is the vase you requested my lord. Should I just put it on your nightstand?" the servant asked.  
  
"It'll do. Now leave." he replied sternly.  
  
"Goodnight my lord." the servant bowed after putting the vase on the nightstand and left the bedroom once again.  


  
After a couple of minutes of staring at the flower, Inuyasha became impatient. _Great...how stupid can I be for believing a servant?_ he mentally smacked himself._ This is no special flower! It's just some good-looking weed that probably grows in the girl's own garden!!_   
  
Just when he was about the stretch out his arm and throw it away, something shimmering caught his eyes. He slowly widened his eyes when he realized where the light came from. It came from the flower, which had started to glow.  
  
The edges of its petals and its stamen were giving off a pale light similar to that of the moon and its pollen began to shimmer like tiny little crystals.  
  
Inuyasha almost gasped at the beauty of the flower and slowly moved toward a sitting position. He was at a loss for words as he realized that all of the servant's words were probably true.  
  
A sudden guilt washed over his heart when he recalled his arrogance towards the girl before. _I wonder if I'll ever get to thank her..._ he thought, without taking his eyes off of the flower. _...or even meet her...this Kagome...again..._   


* * *

Hope you liked the "first taste" of this 3rd story of mine. Don't forget to leave a review okay? Thanks!! And again, if you want to be noticed whenever I post a new chapter, just give me a sign either via personal email or review okay? The same holds for those who were already in my mailing list, because after I noticed everyone (of my previous mailing list) about posting this chapter, I will be emptying my mailing list.   
But of course, if you have an account on FF.net, you can always put me in the "Author's alert" list because I always write one story at a time so you won't receive several emails about me updating things ^-^.  
  
Anyway please look forward to the **next chapter:** A start

  
~*~   
\\"Feh! Why am I fascinated by this crap anyway, it will wither away like all the others as always."//  
  
\\_I guess I should thank that prince of the wolf tribe...hmm...what was his name again...Kouga? Yes! That was it! I mean...if he wasn't all eager to get his hands on the flower that I had discovered and hadn't sent all those minions of him after me, I wouldn't end up jumping into this creek.//_  
  
\\"Ite!" she winced as the pain reminded her and dropped the handkerchief as soon as she picked it up.//  
  
\\Suddenly she felt a soft gush of wind and the next thing she knew was the silver haired boy standing right in front of her within arm reach, with her handkerchief in his clawed hand.//  
~*~ 

  
**Vocabulary:**  
Taiyoukai: literally 'big demon' (Inuyasha's father's name is still unknown)  
kawaii: cute  


  
Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~   
  
Posted: 22 January 2004  
Last Edited: 22 January 2004  
Spelling check: YES 


	2. A start

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline.  
  
**AUTHOR'S NOTE**:  
Hey all!! Thanks for waiting! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy reading okay?  
But the third chapter won't come as fast as this one. As I have already told you before, I'll be having 2 tests and 2 deadlines next week so I'll be very busy studying. But I promise to update as soon as I have finished them all okay? Since I already have the third and fourth chapter on paper, it shouldn't be too difficult ^-^!   


_  
Italic_: thoughts   
-- --: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~*~*~*~: time gap   
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**   
  
-by Kittymui-  
  
**A start**

~*~*~ the next morning ~*~*~  


  
Inuyasha yawned and stretched out his arms as he pulled himself up to a sitting position. _What's this sweet scent...?_ he wondered dreamily, sniffing the air and slowly tracing the scent to its origin. When his eyes fell on his nightstand, he realized that it was coming from the blue flower, which became 'normal' again since sunrise. He didn't know why, but he felt calmer just be looking at the rare creation of nature. He averted his gaze when a ray of sunlight, which was refracted by the water and crystal material of the transparent vase, shone into his eyes.  
  
[AN: In case you want to know what he's wearing. He's only dressed in his red hakama and the white shirt that he's always wearing beneath his red haori.]  
  
"Kagome..." he whispered its name as the image of the raven-haired girl dressed in her yellow yukata appeared in his mind again.   
  
As soon as it came, the image in his mind vanished as someone politely knocked on his bedroom door.  
  
"My young lord, your father and brother are waiting for you in the dining room," the servant from last night spoke with a low bow after opening the door.  
  
"Half-brother," Inuyasha grunted annoyed as he got out of his bed. "I'll be right there."  
  
"Hai, my lord," she bowed again and left the room again.  


  
An annoyed expression appeared on Inuyasha's face as he walked over to a red diva near the bed where his red haori was resting on.. "Feh! Why am I fascinated by this crap anyway, it will wither away like all the others as always." he mumbled to himself, eyeing the flower on his nightstand at the same time.  
  
[AN: He's referring to the flower as well as the girl who gave it to him.]  


  
Not wanting to be lectured again for being tardy, he quickly put on his haori and slipped into the hallway while tying op the sash around his waist.  


  
~*~*~*~  


  
Shortly after finishing breakfast, Inuyasha left the mansion again to head towards his usual spot near the creek.  
  
_There's nothing like a good nap in the middle of Mother Nature._ he thought contented as he stretched out his body over his favorite branch again.  


  
~*~  


  
Meanwhile, a certain raven-haired girl was walking through the forest alongside the creek in which she almost drowned yesterday. Also the same creek where the strange boy named Inuyasha had saved her from being swallowed by the streaming water.  
  
_I guess I should thank that prince of the wolf tribe...hmm...what was his name again...Kouga? Yes! That was it! I mean...if he wasn't all eager to get his hands on the flower that I had discovered and hadn't sent all those minions of him after me, I wouldn't end up jumping into this creek. _she thought to herself.  
  
~*~  
  
_It should be around here somewhere..._ she scanned the area as she brushed away some branches that got in her way.  
  
Her eyes almost glowed when she recognized the place where she had met Inuyasha. But the joy faltered as soon as it came when she saw no sign of the silver-haired boy.  
  
Kagome shrugged._ Oh well...I've tried..._ mentally comforting herself as she turned around again.  
  
Just when she was about the leave the place, a faint sound of rustling leaves reached her ears, causing her to stop. _What was that?_ she thought, looking for the origin of the sound.  
  
Her heart almost stopped beating when a small brown squirrel suddenly jumped out of the bushes in front of her. Although it scared the hell out of her, she managed to swallow most part of her scream and released a small squeak instead.  


  
All of her shock vanished when she noticed the injury of the little fur-ball's tiny leg.  
  
The squirrel jumped backwards as Kagome knelt down in front of it.  
  
"You poor thing...were you attacked or something?" she asked with a gentle voice, stretching out her hand towards the little mammal.  
  
The brown fur-ball replied her question by standing on all four legs and making all of its hair stand up to make itself look bigger and more threatening.  
  
Not even slightly surprised by its defensive behavior, Kagome continued to reach out to the squirrel whispering: "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."  
Well, that was until the fur-ball suddenly lunged forward and caught her forefinger with its sharp teeth, which could easily crack an acorn.  
  
Kagome winced at the sudden attack and bit her lower lip when she felt the sharp teeth digging into a cut that was still healing from her adventure yesterday. When she realized that the squirrel wasn't letting go of her finger, she quickly took the chance and stretched out her other hand to catch it before it could escape.  
  
The creature let go of her forefinger of shock and squirmed terrified under her gentle yet firm grasp.  
  
"Shh...shh...it's okay..." she reassured it, hoping to calm it down a little. She slowly reached into her sleeve with her injured hand and pulled out a small white handkerchief. She put a corner of it between her teeth while holding onto the rest of the cloth. She began to pull at it, ripping it apart, until a thin piece remained and threw the rest of the handkerchief onto the grass. She took the thin piece from her mouth and started to wound it around the injured leg of the struggling squirrel.  
  
Because of the spastic movements, it took Kagome several tries to bandage it. And after a couple of attempts, she succeeded in wounding the white cloth around the little leg several times.   
  
By the time she finished bandaging it, the little creature had finally stopped its useless struggling.  
  
"Done!" Kagome smiled as she released her grip and let the squirrel stand on her open palm.  
  
It didn't jump away immediately; instead, it sniffed her palm and stared at her.  
  
Kagome giggled and gently stroked its furry back with her other hand. "You're free to go now, you know," she said with a wink and a smile.  
  
Little did she notice the curious pair of golden orbs, which was watching her from above.  


  
~*~  


  
His white dog-ears twitched when the sound of rustling leaves reached them.   
  
Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes a little. _Great...what is it this time...?_ he groaned mentally.  
  
His eyes opened fully when he heard the rustling sound again, followed by an almost inaudible squeak from below. He frowned when a familiar scent caught his nose. _This scent...is it her...?_ he thought.  
  
His gaze dropped to the floor below and his eyes widened. There she was...the girl named after the flower, kneeling in front of the squirrel that he had smacked off of his branch yesterday.  
  
_What is she doing?_ he wondered as he watched how she attempted to gain the little pest's trust and failed.  
  
_Keh! Stupid girl!_ he smirked inwardly as he witnessed the pain written all over her face.  
  
His lips curled into a grin when he couldn't help but imagine how she was going to punish the little pest for adding another scar to her bruised hand. But to his surprise, she didn't even shower the fur-ball with curses. _She's going to bandage it!??_ he thought dumbfounded as he watched her patiently trying to wound the bandage around its leg.  
  
As much as he wanted to feel disappointed, Inuyasha couldn't help but feel a bit fascinated by the human girl's kindness. _Is that what I am to her...? Another...'injured' animal...?_ he thought inwardly when he saw the smile on her face that matched the one she gave him yesterday, slightly annoyed at thinking about the word of vulnerability. But he quickly shook off the thought. _Feh! Why do I even care what she thinks?! She doesn't even know me!!_   
  
When he came back to reality again, the next thing he knew was that his golden orbs was staring straight into a pair of dark blue ones.  
  
Apparently, the 'Keh!' that should have been spoken inwardly had escaped his mouth beyond his knowledge.  


  
The squirrel, which had been staying on Kagome's palm until now, immediately jumped to the grass and disappeared into the bushes, as if it recognized the one responsible for its wounded leg.  


  
Just when Inuyasha had expected her to scream and run away, a wide smile surprised him instead.  
  
"Ohayoo!! Inuyasha!!" she greeted him cheerfully.  
  
Not knowing how to respond to the sudden greeting, Inuyasha only released a soft 'Feh!' and turned to lay on his other side with his back to her. _I'll just ignore her...she will leave..._ he thought to himself as he closed his eyes, not knowing why he had to act that way. I guess you could say it was his own unique way of defending himself against possible harm.  


  
~*~  


  
_Why is he acting like that?_ Kagome wondered as she bowed to pick up her handkerchief, or what was left of it. While she thought about it, she completely forgot about her own injury and reached out the wrong hand towards the cloth.   
  
"Ite!" she winced as the pain reminded her and dropped the handkerchief as soon as she picked it up.  
  
Kagome raised her hand to her eyes and examined the bite mark on her forefinger with a pained expression.  


  
Suddenly she felt a soft gush of wind and the next thing she knew was the silver haired boy standing right in front of her within arm reach, with her handkerchief in his clawed hand.  
  
Not knowing what to say, she silently watched how the boy ripped off a thin piece of the handkerchief using the same method as she did a while ago.  
  
Her whole body froze when he suddenly grasped her hand with his, raising it to the height of his eyes and began to wound the thin piece of cloth around her forefinger, covering the bite mark.  
  
She didn't notice it before, but the boy was actually not much taller than her. Her cheeks turned slightly red when she suddenly realized how close they were standing to each other. They became even redder when she felt the warmth that transferred from his clawed hand to hers.  
  
Kagome quickly suppressed her blush. When she shifted her gaze from her finger to the silver-haired boy, she was relieved that he was only concentrating on her forefinger and not on her while her blush was slowly beginning to fade.   
  
_He's got beautiful eyes..._ she thought mesmerized, not realizing that she was actually staring into them.  


  
~*~  


  
Although Inuyasha had closed his eyes and decided to ignore her, he was still following each of her actions with his ears.   
  
When he heard the girl wince out in pain, he couldn't help but feel guilty and partly responsible as he realized that the injuries on her hand were indirectly caused by himself.  
  
As if his body acted by itself, he had already jumped off the branch and picked up the girl's handkerchief before he knew it.   
[AN: Damn sentence!! Actually, this was the one causing the delay of posting this chapter hehehe *blushes*. I had trouble rephrasing it when MS Word didn't accept it. Thanks Kyia!! For helping me out!!]  
  
As he began the bandaging, after he had ripped off a small piece of the cloth, he wondered what the big deal was about him holding her hand. I mean, nobody would be able to bandage the finger of a clumsy girl like her without holding her hand in the process.   
He knew the girl was blushing in deep shades of red, he could even smell the nervousness coming from her but he ignored it and continued to finish what he had thought to be his responsibility. Well, until the staring became too obvious, that is.  
  
_What is she looking at...?!_ he growled inwardly as he began to feel uncomfortable. _Why is she staring at me like that?_   


  
~*~  


  
It took Kagome several seconds to realize that the bandaging had stopped and that the beautiful pair of golden eyes was looking straight into hers instead of her half-bandaged forefinger.  
  
She immediately dropped her gaze to her wooden sandals. "G-gomen!" she stuttered as blood gushed up to her cheeks once again.  


  
Without saying anything, Inuyasha continued the bandaging again and eventually finished it.  


  
"T-thank you," Kagome said as she felt his grip on her hand disappear. When she looked up from her finger, she realized that the silver-haired boy had turned around to walk away already.  
  
She frowned. _Why is he shutting himself off like that...?_ she mused.   
  
Yes...this question was truly bothering her now. _  
  
When he was looking at me...there was this great deal of annoyance and impatience in those eyes of his but...it was more like a barrier of some sort...a smokescreen...as if he was hiding some feelings that he doesn't want other to know about..._ Kagome narrowed her eyes. _And I can swear I saw a glimpse of guilt and sadness in them._   
  
"Wait!" she halted him and ran after him.  
  
Inuyasha stopped walking, causing her to almost bump onto him, but he didn't turn around.  


  
"Euhm...do you like the flower I gave you?" she asked.  
  
A moment of silence passed before he finally replied coolly. "I don't hate it."  
  
Kagome's eyes glowed. "Great!! I knew you would like it!!!" she cheered happily.  
  
Inuyasha was surprised once again. _What the...? I didn't___ He wanted to tell her that she was wrong but when he turned around and saw the girl's happy face, he just couldn't do it. He hate to admit it, but there was something about this girl that's starting to create ripples in his personal barrier he made to keep others away.  
  
"Ne Inuyasha?" Kagome suddenly spoke, cutting off his train of thoughts. "Do you come here often?" she asked, hoping to lure him into a conversation.  
  
When he didn't reply, she suddenly started talking herself. "I do," she smiled as she pivoted on one foot and started walking towards the creek. "I like the forest very much. It's more fun than to stay at home and learn how to sew or act like a lady. Out here I can do what I want to do and be who I want to be."  


  
~*~  


  
Inuyasha didn't know why he didn't walk away and left the girl with her almost endless story.  
  
Somehow, she made him feel as if she was translating HIS thoughts into audible words. Maybe it was because she had the same motives as he for being out here.  
  
_I guess we're a bit of the same huh?_ he thought, but he quickly denied it. _No! _he screamed at himself, jerking away his gaze at the same time. _What are you doing!! You moron!!_ he scolded himself._ Are you going to let yourself be hurt again?? It happened before...remember???_   


  
[FLASHBACK]  


  
A much younger version of Inuyasha appeared in his memory. He was sitting on the same old branch again with his back leaning against the main branch of his favorite tree. His eyes were closed but he didn't seem to be sleeping.  
  
He wasn't alone. There was another person, a girl. She was sitting at the base of the tree and leaning against the trunk. She was dressed in a white yukata with red sakura blossoms embroidered on it along the edges. Her black hair made a small wave when she suddenly jumped to her feet and leaned against the tree again with both of her hands functioning as a cushion between her bottom and the hard trunk.  
  
"We'll always be together...won't we Inuyasha?" she asked with a soft voice.  
  
"Ah." he replied, without opening his eyes or moving an inch.  
  
A giggle escaped the girl's mouth as she looked up to the blue sky. "We'll always come here and play together...right?"  
  
"Ah." was his cool reply again.  
  
This time the girl pushed herself away from the trunk and looked up at the boy up in the tree with her hands on both sides of her waist. "Mou...can't you respond a bit gentler?" she pouted annoyed.  
  
Inuyasha finally opened his eyes and looked down at the girl, his golden orbs meeting the dark gray ones. Although he didn't admit it, but this girl had miraculously managed to penetrate and find a place inside his personal barrier.  
  
It wasn't love, he knew that, but he was truly fond of her. She always treated him like an equal and she trusted him. But most of all...she made him trust her.  


  
But then one day...she left. He never found out why, because she didn't even leave a note or something like that. No, she just stopped coming to their meeting place, just like that.   
  
He just waited and waited, day after day, but she never came.   
  
And finally, about a half-year later, he heard a rumor about her family having moved out of their shrine and gone to a faraway city, which he didn't even bother to remember the name of.  


  
Ever since that day, he said to himself...never to trust anybody again.  


  
[END FLASHBACK]  


  
_It's already been two years since...but I'm not going to trust anybody again...not now...not ever..._ he thought determined.  
  
Without realizing it, he ended up mumbling the last couple of words of his thoughts.  


  
"What did you say...?" Kagome asked, turning to him.  
  
"Nothing." he replied coolly.  


  
A disappointed expression appeared on her face. _Not that I have expected something else...but still..._ she thought. _I just wish I knew how to make him open up a little..._   
  
Her thoughts were cut when Inuyasha suddenly spoke again. "You should go home and wash that wound, you are mistaking if you think that that handkerchief of yours will do the trick."  
  
With that said, he turned around and walked away.  


  
If he had kept his eyes just a little longer on the girl, he would have been able to see the astonished look she was giving him.  
  
  
Kagome just stood there and watched Inuyasha disappear into the woods. _Well...it's a start..._ she smiled inwardly.  


  
~*~ that night ~*~  


  
Why did he have to say something like that? It's not that he cared about her...he doesn't even know her.  
  
Inuyasha tossed and turned on his bed as he kept pondering about it.   
  
Then he turned to look at the blue flower on his nightstand, which had started to glow again. Strangely enough, his body relaxed as he stared at the beauty of it.   
  
_Maybe..._ he gave in, finally being able to close his eyes as sleep slowly claimed him._ ...maybe I just didn't want to see her disappointed face..._

* * *

Like it? Found a mistake? Let me know with a review okay? Thanks in advance!! Please look forward to the next chapter!!  
  
Oh by the way, if you're looking for an interesting Rurouni Kenshin x Inuyasha crossover, I'd recommend "In every age" written by Kyia Star. She's a good author ^-^. Other recommendations? Just look at my "favorite stories" list and you'll find them!  
  
**Next chapter: **It's not your fault

  
~*~   
\\"And your mother? What is she like?" she asked, almost instantly regretting it as she saw the flash of pain in his golden eyes.//  
  
\\"You must be missing her a lot, don't you?"//  
  
\\"Just because I'm acting kind towards you, doesn't mean you can pry into my personal life!!"//  
  
\\Not caring about the fact that he was actually taking away her chance to defend herself against his words, he dashed into the forest.//  
  
\\"I-Inuyasha?" (...) "W-what are you doing here?! Go away!! Leave me alone!!"//  
~*~  


  
**Vocabulary:**  
**hai:** yes  
**ohayoo:** good morning  
**ne:** hey  
**ite:** ouch  
**mou:** geez  
**ah:** sort of like 'yeah'  
**gomen: **I'm sorry  


  
**REPLIES ON REVIEWS:**  
  
**Niomi Twilight: **Hahaha never really thought of that one before, but hey! Thanks!! It's really encouraging ^-^! Oh by the way, I've added you to my mailing list so you can expect an email from me whenever I update, hope you won't mind that.  
  
**Kagura wind fairy:** Thank you very much!! Although I don't really mind readers not reviewing my story after reading, but still...it's good to know how many people are actually reading it ^-^.  
  
**Fire Kitsune Goddess:** Thanks for telling me! Oh by the way, I've added you to my mailing list (as you might alreadyhave noticed hehehe).  
**  
Kyia:** Thanks!! I've added you to my mailing list. And thanks for telling me. About the movie...all I know is that it's already showing in the Cinema's of Japan, but it won't be downloadable till October or November...at least not the good versions (DVD-versions) coz I'm not really waiting for the ones who are recorded illegally in a Cinema ^-^. As far as I know through experience, movies of Inuyasha tend only to be downloadable about one year after it has been showed in the Cinema's in Japan. Quite logical if you think of how long people usually wait until they actually sell DVD's of movies and animes.  
**  
Guardian-of-the-night:** Thanks! I'll try to update as soon as possible!

  
~*~  


  
Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~   
  
Posted: 25 January 2004  
Last Edited: 25 January 2004  
Spelling check: YES 


	3. It's not your fault

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline.  
  
**AUTHOR'S NOTE**:  
Thank you all for waiting, I'm sorry for not updating a while, but I have been really really busy this week. And I will continue to be busy until Monday the 2nd, and after that I will have LOTS of time to write chapters because my second semester will start with an extremely relaxed schedule, so don't worry ^-^! I hope you will enjoy reading this chapter! Please leave a review behind after reading, thanks in advance!!  


_  
Italic_: thoughts   
-- --: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~*~*~*~: time gap   
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**

-by Kittymui-

  
**It's not your fault**

  
~*~ the next day ~*~  


  
"Ohayoo!! Inuyasha!!" her voice echoed cheerfully through the forest.  
  
Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes and dropped his gaze to the floor below.   
  
There she was again. Dressed in a fresh blue yukata with long sleeves, with white flowers embroidered on it. Her raven black tresses slightly reciprocated in the air as she enthusiastically waved at him. A small bandage could be seen around her forefinger, along with a lot of cuts and gashes on her hand that are still doing their best to heal.  
  
A soft grunt escaped his throat before he sat up and jumped off the branch to where the girl stood.  


  
Without saying anything else, Inuyasha pulled out a small porcelain bottle of his sleeve and handed it over to her.  
  
Kagome gave him a puzzled look. "This is__"  
  
"You humans heal too slow," he cut her off. "Your hands will heal faster with this and it won't leave any scars."  
  
She smiled and took it. "Thank you," she said, looking down at the bottle.  
  
It was a white opaque bottle, not bigger than the palm of her hand, and blue drawings could be seen on it. When Kagome looked closer at it, she realized it was a dog howling to a crescent moon.  
  
"It's our family crest," Inuyasha explained, noticing the puzzled look on the girl's face.  
  
Kagome looked up from the bottle. "So...you're an inu-youkai?" she asked.  
  
He nodded. "My father is the only inu-youkai lord of the Western Lands." he responded.  
  
"And your mother? What is she like?" she asked, almost instantly regretting it as she saw the flash of pain in his golden eyes.  
  
Inuyasha's ears twitched at the question and his mouth instantly shut tight, just like a Jacob shell when perceiving an approaching enemy.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry..." Kagome apologized regretful. "I shouldn't have asked..."  


  
Not wanting to show her how surprised he was by her sudden apology, Inuyasha crossed his arms and stuck up his nose. "Feh!" he snorted.  


  
"My mother died giving birth to me..." she suddenly began after a moment of silence as she looked down at her feet. "I was raised by my father alone...I heard she was very beautiful and that I resembled her a lot."  
  
[AN: Yup! I decided to leave Souta and the rest of her family of the series out of this one!!]  


  
Inuyasha slowly uncrossed his arms and looked down at her.  
  
Kagome felt his eyes on her and quickly apologized again. "I-I'm sorry...I'm bothering you with my own problems."  
  
An awkward smile appeared on her face. "I guess I'm just a little bit lonely..." she confessed, looking up at him.   


  
"You must be missing her a lot, don't you?" she suddenly asked after staring at him for a moment.  
  
Inuyasha now turned to look at her with full attention, with an unknown expression on his face.  
  
"Your mother...I meant..." she continued. "I mean... it's natural for you to m__"  
  
"What the hell are you talking about...?" he growled, cutting her off. "You don't know anything, so don't push your luck...wench."  
  
Shocked by his words, Kagome could only stare at him with wide eyes.  
  
"Just because I'm acting kind towards you, doesn't mean you can pry into my personal life!!" he continued harshly. "I've never asked for you to open up to me so don't expect me to do the same!! I've never trusted anyone and it has always been like that, so you're NOT an exception!!!"  
  
After saying that, he folded his arms together and averted his gaze again.  


  
Kagome clasped her yukata as if she was starting to get an heart-attack and dropped her gaze. "I...I know I don't have the right to ask about your personal life...b-but still..." she stuttered.  


  
A pause took place and Inuyasha stole several glances at her, wondering what was keeping the rest. His eyes widened as he saw the two streams of tears running down her cheeks and as a salty scent began to fill the air.  
  
When the girl looked up at him again, he quickly looked away again. "Keh! You humans are so fragile." he snorted nonchalantly.  


  
"H-hidoi..." she whispered as the tears continued to roll down her cheeks. "I've never asked you to trust me..."  


  
Something inside Inuyasha snapped at hearing this. Apparently, it was his mental barrier called stubbornness, which was holding back the waves of guilt. Because guilt was the feeling that had flooded his mind.  
  
"I've heard enough!" he cut her off and turned around.   
  
Not caring about the fact that he was actually taking away her chance to defend herself against his words, he dashed into the forest.   


  
"That's not fair!!" Kagome cried after him, broken in sobs.  
  
She fell to her knees. "T-that's...not fair..." she sobbed.  


  
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps could be heard in a distance.  
  
"I-Inuyasha?" she asked, drying her tears and looking around.  
  
She widened her eyes when she saw who it was. "W-what are you doing here?! Go away!! Leave me alone!!"  


  
~*~*~*~  


  
Inuyasha was sitting on his balustrade and watching the forest from above when his little conscience suddenly wanted to bother him again.  
  
_You are a real jerk you know that?_   
  
He sighed. _Not you again...?!_ he groaned inwardly.  
  
_Oh yeah...and you're not going to stop me complaining about you! God if you just knew how much I hate to be your little conscience!!_   
  
_Keh! Then don't be._ Inuyasha smirked in reply.  
  
_I would if I could!!_   
  
_ That's your problem now leave me alone!_   
  
_NOT before I've summed up all the reasons why you are a real jerk!_ the voice decided. _I mean, look at how you treated that girl, while she did nothing to offend you._   
  
Inuyasha scowled. _Oh man! Are we talking about her again?! It's her fault, okay? She pried into someone else's personal life first!_   
  
_Well, she told you about hers..._   
  
_I didn't ask for it! She just kept talking and talking!_   
  
_..._   
  
_And besides, she didn't have to right to presume how I feel towards my own mother._ he added.  
  
_And ain't it true? What she presumed?_ his conscience asked.  
  
_ I..._ Inuyasha started as he thought about a good comeback._ And what if she is!? She still didn't have the right to! _ "She doesn't even know me!" he cried out loud. "She doesn't know anything!! She__"  
  
Then it struck him as he realized what he had just said.  
  
_There...you just said it yourself..._ his conscience sighed. _She doesn't know...then how could she have known that it was a sensitive topic? How could she have possibly known about your reasons for shutting yourself off like that?_   
  
Inuyasha growled, knowing that his little conscience was right, but stuck up his nose. "Keh! Now she knows, since I have warned her...so what's the big fuzz about me being a jerk?!" he snorted.  
  
Now his conscience was really getting angry. _For God's sake Inuyasha!! How cruel can you actually be!? You 'warned' her??? Ha! Well, that's the best euphemism I have EVER heard! Inuyasha...you made her cry dammit!! You even called her a 'wench'!! And you call THAT a warning!?_ it screamed at him mentally.  
[AN: In case you don't know what an euphemism is, it's an inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive.]  


  
This time, Inuyasha wasn't able to think of any good comebacks anymore. Just when he was about to say something, the image of Kagome looking at him with teary eyes appeared in his mind.  
  
_Chikusho! Why is she appearing in my head right now?!_ he cursed inwardly.  
  
_Why don't you just admit it, you moron!!_ the voice spoke again.  
  
_Admit what?_ he asked.  
  
_You know very well what I mean...you knew it all along but you just didn't have the guts to!!_   


  
Inuyasha closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  
  
Without saying or thinking anything else, he opened them again and jumped from the balustrade into the forest. As soon as he reached the ground, he started dashing into the direction of the creek.  


  
~*~*~  


  
After a while, he arrived at the place where he had left the crying girl behind.  
  
He scanned the area but she was nowhere to be found. _She left huh?_ he thought to himself.  
  
_What? You thought she would stay here and wait until you come back? After all that you've said to her?_ his conscience spoke with a sarcastic tone.  
  
"Just shut up, will you?!" he snarled aloud.  
  
Suddenly, a familiar object on the floor drew his attention. He approached it and picked it up. _It's the medicine bottle I gave her..._ he realized.  
  
_I guess she hates you that much huh?_ his little conscience smirked.  


  
Ignoring his annoying conscience, Inuyasha sniffed the bottle and the environment. "Wolves...they were here..."  
  
His eyes widened as realization struck him. _Then the girl...she was___   
  
His thoughts were cut off as his eyes fell on the traces of kicked up dirt and flattened grass near the spot where he had found the bottle. _She struggled against them._ he concluded with a scowl.  
  
Inuyasha's grip on the bottle tightened as he recalled her words the day he rescued her from drowning.  
  
"I-I...rather drown than be some wolf tribe's prince's bride."  


  
He let out a growl before as he slipped the bottle into his sleeve and dashed into the trees, following the faint scent of the wolves.  


  
-- somewhere deeper into the forest --  


  
"Let me go!!! Let me out of here!!!!" Kagome yelled as she pulled at the bars made of bones, which were keeping her imprisoned and separated from the rest of the dark cave.  
  
It was not a very big cave, so she concluded that it was just a pit stop instead of a hideout. Not to mention the small amount of wolves to guard the place, which she was even able to count with just one hand.  
Although the cave wasn't too deep and the opening wasn't located too far away from her, it would still be too dark for her to see her surroundings if it weren't for the torches here and there in the walls.  
  
A guard, naturally another wolf-man, appeared. He didn't look like a wolf at all if you just ignored the tail. He had white spiked hair, just like a punk, and was wearing armor around his chest and shoulders. And below, he was only wearing a pair of shorts made of dark brown fur.  
  
"There's no way you're capable of escaping from this place, so pipe down until our leader arrives...unless you want to become our dinner, that is," he warned as he wiped the liquid that came out of the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. "My...you really look quite delicious. Maybe if I just__"  
  
Before he could even finish, he was already smacked aside by an unknown person.  


  
Kagome just watched with wide eyes how the guard hit the nearby wall, and shifted her gaze to the shadow of the person who did that.  
  
"I'm truly sorry for the behavior of my men. They just can't seem to suppress their primary needs sometimes," it spoke as it approached her and came into the light of the torch near the bars of her prison.   
  
She narrowed her eyes and immediately disliked the person as soon as she saw him.  
  
It was a boy, slightly older than her, with black hair tied into a high ponytail and pale blue eyes. He was wearing shoulder, lower arm and lower leg protectors made of dark brown fur and armor could be seen around his chest. The headband, which could be seen around his forehead, was also made of the same kind of fur.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry for not introducing myself," he suddenly apologized, slightly bowing forward. "I'm Kouga, the prince of the wolf tribe."  
  
Kagome frowned. _So this is the one behind the pursuing and kidnapping._ she thought warily. "What do you want with me? Why am I being held captive?" she asked with a snarl as she tightened her grip on a pair of bars.  
  
"What a temper for a rich lord's daughter...I like that," he smirked. "Not that I had expected anything else from my future mate."  
  
Kagome gave him a disgusted look. "There's no way I'm going to marry an arrogant bastard like you!" she spat.  
  
She widened her eyes when Kouga suddenly stuck his hands through the spaces between the bars and grabbed her wrists. She quickly jerked at her hands as she saw his face coming closer towards her. "Let me go!!" she cried, desperately trying to pull her wrists from his grip.  


  
A grin appeared on Kouga's face as he suddenly released his grip again, causing her to fall backwards to the stone floor into her prison. "Whatever you say, my dear mate," he chuckled and had one of his men open the prison door.  
  
"Good, now leave us and guard the cave." he ordered his minion.   
  
The minion nodded and left them alone as he was told.  


  
When Kagome sat up again, she saw that the wolf prince had entered her prison and quickly began to scoot backwards until she encountered the wall behind her.  
  
Kouga walked closer to the girl and knelt down in front of her. "You will learn to like me," he said confidently as he took her chin with his strong hand and made her look at him. "Honestly, I think I'm better off having you instead of that crappy flower. Gosh, I'm happy you didn't drown back then," he grinned.  


  
Angry, yes, Kagome was definitely angry...but she was also scared. The guard was right, there was no was she could escape from this place. Although she liked adventure, right now, she couldn't help but feel completely cornered and helpless.   
  
But she wouldn't cry. There's no way she's going to cry in front of another youkai again, not after what had happened this morning.   
  
She closed her eyes and struggled as she saw him lean closer to her face, but his grip was too strong.  
  
His lips almost touched hers when suddenly, several painful cries echoed through the cave.

  
*AARRGHHH...WHOAA....*  


  
Kagome felt his grip on her chin loosen and opened her eyes again. _What happened?_ she thought puzzled.  
  
She watched how the expression on the wolf's face became annoyed. "Bad timing, dog-turd," she heard him mutter before standing up and turning to the opening of the prison.  
  
_Dog...? It couldn't be...could it?_ Kagome thought surprised and peeked from behind the wolf's standing form as she heard the sound of footsteps coming closer to where they stood.  
  
It stopped right when the intruder was about to step into the light in front of the prison.  
  
"I know it's you dog-turd, so why don't you just show yourself," the wolf growled.  


  
Kagome narrowed her eyes and immediately widened them as the shadow finally came into the light.   
  
His red haori and hakama made a small wave as he stepped forward and his beautiful silver hair carried a faint yellow hue of the fire-torch.  
  
A bewildered expression appeared on her face as she saw the serious expression on the inu-youkai's face, who was only directing his eyes on the wolf. _Why is HE here? Of all people...why him...? He couldn't be here because of me...since he got angry with me..._ she concluded, recalling the quarrel they had earlier. _But then...why?_   
  
Her mental debating ended as soon as he finally began to speak after a long gazing war with the wolf. "Let her go." Were his only words.  
  
Kagome stared at Inuyasha. _He...he's talking about me? Which means...he came for me??_ she realized disbelieving.  


  
The wolf smirked in reply. "What if I don't want to? What is she to you anyway?" he asked.  
  
"Don't make me repeat myself, you wimpy wolf. Because I don't want to fight today...and besides, you are no match for me," Inuyasha warned him, ignoring the question.  
  
Kouga gave him a quasi-disappointed look. "Don't want to fight today...? That's a pity, because I really wanted to impress my future mate with my fighting skills," he pouted as he grabbed Kagome's wrist and pulled her up to him.  
  
A low growl escaped Inuyasha's throat as he saw her wince when the wolf forces her to her feet. But then a smirk took over again. "Keh! I guess I could use some exercise and plus, I'd really love to see how your 'future mate' would react when I beat the crap out of you," he chuckled with a mocking tone.  
  
After saying that, he turned around to the opening of the cave, narrowly missing the very annoyed look on Kouga's face.  


  
Without saying anything else, the wolf tightened his grip on Kagome's wrist and forced her to follow him as he walked out of the prison towards the exit of the cave.  
  
"S-stop that!! You're hurting me!! I can walk by myself you___!!" She was cut off by a sharp pain coming from her wrist as Kouga's nails dug into her flesh.  
  
She bit her lower lip and pushed back her tears as she felt a warm feeling running from her wrist to her elbow.  


  
As they exited the cave, Kagome had to shield her eyes, which were still accustomed to the darkness of the cave, from the bright sunlight.   


  
~*~  


  
Inuyasha knew the wolf was hurting the girl when he heard her abruptly stop her complaining.   
  
As much as he wanted to turn around and help her, he had to be patient to make sure the girl was able to come out of her prison and out of the cave.  
  
When Inuyasha exited the cave, he turned around and waited until Kouga came out of it.  
  
He scowled as he watched how the wolf roughly threw her to the floor next to the opening of the cave. He narrowed his eyes when he caught the scent of blood and shifted his gaze to the girl on the floor.  
  
She was covering her wrist with her other hand and pain was written all over her face as she dropped her gaze to the floor.  
  
Inuyasha's eyes widened when he saw a fleck of red on her sleeve.  
  
The elbow of it, which should have been blue, was now slightly dark purple of color and the embroidered flowers that were white before, were now poised with a dark red hue.  
  
He quickly shifted his gaze back to Kouga when he saw the girl lift up her gaze to him. Although he wasn't looking at her, he knew she was on the verge of bursting into tears as he smelled the faint scent of saltiness in the air.  
  
"Don't worry Kagome, I'll make sure that he'll regret for hurting you," he said determined as he kept his eyes pinpointed at the wolf.  
  
Then he suddenly realized something. _Wait a minute...did I just...I just called her Kagome..._   
  
Just when he thought that calling the girl by her name wasn't very awkward at all, his attention was abruptly drawn by Kouga's voice that echoed through the forest. "Prepare to die dog-turd!!" the wolf cried furiously as he lunged forward at Inuyasha.  


  
~*~  


  
Kagome had to use all of her strength to push back her tears when her already injured wrist and ankle hit the hard earth after she was thrown to the floor by Kouga.  
She quickly grasped her wrist and curled herself up against the wall next to the opening of the cave.  
  
It was then, that she felt his eyes on her and she slowly lifted her gaze to him.  
  
Much to her disappointment, the silver-haired boy looked away again before her dark blue eyes could meet his golden ones.  


  
She wanted to cry. Not really because of the pain of her bleeding wrist or probably twisted ankle, but because of the situation where she found herself in. She couldn't help but feel embarrassed, if not frustrated, about the fact that she had to be saved by the one who got angry with her and told her off several hours ago.  
  
_Why is he helping me anyway?_ she thought. _Didn't he hate me?_   
  
All of her frustration and question marks increased exponentially when she heard him speak again.  
  
"Don't worry Kagome, I'll make sure that he'll regret for hurting you."  


  
She looked at him with wide eyes as his words made sense to her. _...Eh?_  
  
She didn't know whether she should be relieved or angry. _D-did he just call me by my name...?_   


  
Before she could figure it out, her attention was already drawn by the fight, which had commenced with the angry cry of the wolf prince.  


  
~*~  


  
Kagome watched how the wolf desperately tried to hit Inuyasha and failed. She was amazed to witness how easily Inuyasha managed to dodge every single attack Kouga launched at him.  


  
"What's the matter? Can't you even hit me?" Inuyasha mocked, dodging a high kick from the wolf.  
  
"SHUT UP!!! Dodging all of my attacks doesn't mean you've won!!" Kouga growled as he continued to attack Inuyasha. "Or is it all you can do, since there's no chance for you to counterattack?" he grinned.  
  
Inuyasha smirked. "Well, if you insist to see me in the offence..." he responded as he back flipped to dodge a low kick. "...then it's what you will get!"  
  
As soon as his feet made contact with the ground, Inuyasha set off again and jumped backwards into the air, towards a nearby tree trunk. He curled himself up a little and swiftly turned a somersault backwards in the air. The timing of his somersault was perfect and he managed to reach the trunk with his feet first. As soon as he did that, he set off against the trunk and sent himself flying towards Kouga with great speed and thrust.  
  
"SANKON TESSOU!!" he cried as he raised his hands and flexed his claws.  


  
Kouga was slightly caught off guard by the sudden counter and quickly jumped aside to avoid it, but he failed as Inuyasha was too fast.  


  
"AARRGGGH!!" he cried out in pain as he landed on the floor and collapsed to his knees with five parallel bleeding gashed on his shoulder. He quickly covered his injured shoulder with his other clawed hand. "You bastard!!" he cursed, turning around to Inuyasha, who had gracefully landed onto the grass behind the wolf.  


  
Inuyasha straightened himself up and turned to Kouga with a victorious grin on his face. "I told you that you were no match for me," he smirked as he swung his clawed hand to get rid of the wolf's blood.  


  
A defeated look could be seen on the wolf's face. "I will defeat you someday and when I do, I will surely make you beg me for mercy," he growled menacingly before disappearing into the trees.  
  
"Keh!" Inuyasha spat, turning away from where the wolf stood before, only to find himself facing Kagome, who was still sitting on the floor and holding her injured wrist.  
  
Surprised by the fact that she hadn't taken the opportunity to escape while he fought with Kouga, he just stood there and looked down at her.  
  


  
~*~  


  
_Why is he looking at me like that?! Why isn't he looking away?_ she thought embarrassed. _He must be mentally mocking me right now...he must be thinking: 'God humans are really annoying and fragile!' or something like that._   
  
She averted her gaze and slowly got to her feet. _I'm not going to stay here and listen to how he's going to make fun of me..._ she bit her lower lip and ignored the pain coming from her ankle. _I can walk by myself...I can do this..._ she said to herself mentally as she slowly took her first step forward.  
  
But as soon as she set her sprained foot on the ground, a sharp pain sent a shock through her whole body and she toppled forward to the floor.  
  
Kagome closed her eyes and moved her arms in front of her out of reflex. But the impact with the earth never came.  


  
She felt two strong hands catch her shoulders. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself looking at a red haori. She knew whom she had been caught by and squirmed to get out of his grip, but it was too strong. "D-don't need you help...nor pity..." she muttered as she continued to squirm.  


  
"You were right," Inuyasha suddenly confessed. "I really miss her...even now..."  
  
Kagome stopped her useless struggling and slowly looked up at him. "...Eh?"  
  
"...my mother...I do miss her a lot..." he added.  
  
She was still giving him a surprised look as she realized he was actually answering her question of this morning. _H-he...he's___ Her thoughts were cut off then Inuyasha continued.  


  
"She was a human...my mother...she loved my father very much no matter how much she became hated by other humans for marrying a youkai. And then I was born, a hanyou...one destined to be pointed at for not being a full-blood. But I never blamed my mother or father for it. I loved my mother very much. I was really sad when she passed away when I just turned six."  
  
A short pause.  
  
"She cried on the day she died...because she was worried about me...about my future...and I hated myself for it. Ever since that day I became to hate myself more each day."  
  
Another short pause.  
  
"But then I got to meet this girl, her name was Kikyou, and we became friends. We promised each other to meet by the creek every day and then we would always play games until dinner."  
  
"Until she stopped showing up one day." he said as his face formed a sad expression. "I kept believing that she would show up eventually, day after day, but then I heard she and her family had moved out of their shrine to a faraway city. And so...I was all alone again..."  


  
A sad expression could be seen on Kagome's face too as she listened to every words of his sad memories. _So that's why he's shutting himself off from others..._ she concluded as she began to feel guilty for making him recall his sad memories. Then she was surprised by what he said next.  
  
"Don't be..." he suddenly said, as if he knew what she was thinking. "You didn't know...you couldn't have known so it's not your fault."  


  
Kagome didn't know why, but she felt the tears, which she had managed to push back before, well up in her eyes again. And before she knew it, they were already streaming down her cheeks

* * *

Liked it? I surely hope you did, because I wrote it while I still have two deadlines coming up. Anyway, please look forward to the next chapter ne? And don't forget! If you want me to notify you whenever I update, just put your request and email address in your review ^-^!  
  
**Next chapter:** Blooming friendship

  
~*~   
  
\\"Climb on, Inuyasha said, looking over his shoulder. "I'll carry you back."//  
  
\\"B-but__"//  
  
\\"I won't ask again Kagome," he cut her off. "Now climb on my back."//  
  
\\As if her name was the magic word, Kagome obediently climbed onto Inuyasha's back and wrapped her arms around his neck.//  


  
\\"We're here."//  
  
\\"Will we meet again?" she asked hastily, afraid that he'll shut himself off from her again after today.//  
  
~*~   


  
**Vocabulary:**  
**ohayoo:** good morning  
**inu-youkai: **dogdemon  
**hidoi:** that's cruel  
**chikusho:** damn/shit  
**Sankon Tessou:** "Soul-Shattering Iron Claws", it's a claw attack used by Inuyasha  
**hanyou:** halfdemon

  
~*~   
  
**REPLIES ON REVIEWS:**  
  
**KaGs&YaSHa**, **Chibi-Call**, **midnite sorrow**,** frozensakurablossems**, **PurpleRoses**, **seikkyokuka**, **Hanamaru285, Fushigi Wolf:** Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked it so far ^-^! I'll try and update as soon as possible!!  
  
**seishi:** Hahaha I know Kagome isn't originally a flower, I just made it up to fit my story ^-^. Thanks for telling me anyway. And thanks for your compliments!  
  
**Kagura wind fairy: **Thanks for reviewing again ^-^!! Glad you liked it!  
  
**Ks-Starshine:** Thank you very much ^-^! And I've re-edited my chapters and changed "embedded" into "embroidered". English is not really my native language so I still have a lot to learn, thanks for telling me!!  
  
**Kyia Star: **Thanks for the compliments, they're really encouraging ^-^! And no problem!  
  
**Inukamisashi:** Hey!! Glad you didn't forget about me ^-^! Thanks for reviewing! Don't worry, I've already put you in my mailing list!  
  
**Rhexi: **Hahaha thank you very much ^-^! But I don't think you want to borrow my muses coz they're quite rebellious sometimes...*quickly ducks for approaching flying objects thrown by her muses* See what I mean? Hehehe. Anyway I'm glad you like the story so far.  
  
~*~ 

  
Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~   
  
Posted: 30 January 2004  
Last Edited: 12 February 2004  
Spelling check: YES 


	4. Blooming friendship

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline.  
  
**AUTHOR'S NOTE**:  
~*~   
Hi all!! Here I am again!! And like I said before, I will have a LOT of time to write chapters the coming 10 weeks (till April) because of an extremely relaxed schedule of school. It will be a bit slower in the beginning since I haven't written the chapters yet but don't worry, I'll pick up the pace soon ^-^!  
  
Please enjoy reading this chapter of mine and leave a review behind after reading! Thank you!!   
~*~  
_  
Italic_: thoughts   
-- --: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~*~*~*~: time gap   
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**

-by Kittymui-

  
**Blooming friendship**

**  
Previously:**  
"Don't be..." he suddenly said, as if he knew what she was thinking. "You didn't know...you couldn't have known so it's not your fault.  
Kagome didn't know why, but she felt the tears, which she had managed to push back before, well up in her eyes again. And before she knew it, they were already streaming down her cheeks.  


  
~*~*~

  
  
Inuyasha was shocked when Kagome suddenly started to cry. "O-oi...why are you crying...?" he stuttered with a shocked expression on his face. _Did I make her cry again? God, I'm such a jerk..._ he mentally scolded himself. He immediately released her shoulders and held up his hands as if he was surrendering. "L-look...I'm sorry if I made you cry again...really...I'm__"  
  
He was cut off when Kagome suddenly clasped his haori and buried her head into his chest. "K-k..." she sobbed in his chest. "...kowakatta..."  


  
Inuyasha's eyes softened as he wrapped his arms around her and gently stroked her hair. _I guess I can't really blame her, since she'd probably never been kidnapped and forced to be some youkai's mate before._ he thought understandingly. "It's okay, he's gone now," he reassured her and slightly pulled away. "That aside, how is your wrist?" he asked.  


  
Kagome, who was still sobbing, let go of his haori and held up her injured wrist, revealing a faint blue skin and several nail-marks aligned next to each other. And a couple of dried trails of blood ran from her wrist to the inside of her sleeve.  


  
Inuyasha gently took her wrist in his clawed hand and reached into his sleeve with the other.  
  
Kagome widened her eyes when she saw him pull out the small medicine bottle she had lost during the kidnap. _How did he...?_   
  
"I had found it on the floor near the creek," he explained as he pulled out the tiny cork that sealed the opening of the bottle.  
  
"This will sting a little," he warned before pouring out some of the liquid onto the nail-marks.  
  
Kagome winced a little as she indeed felt the singing sensation but ignored most part of it when she realized what it meant that he had found the bottle near the creek. _He came back to where he had left me behind..._   
  
When she came back to reality again, she realized that Inuyasha had started to bandage her wrist with a red cloth. "A-arigatou..." she whispered as a blush crept up her cheeks.  
  
"Dou-itashimashite," he replied, tying a knot to keep the bandage on its place around her wrist. "Can you walk?" he asked after a short pause.  
  
"Maybe..." she answered and tried to put more pressure on her foot that caused her to topple forward before. But she winced again as the sharp pain ran through her body. _...not..._ she added mentally and shifted her gaze to Inuyasha again, only to find him kneeling in front of her with his back to her. _...Eh?_   
  
"Climb on," Inuyasha said, looking over his shoulder. "I'll carry you back."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened. "B-but__"  
  
"I won't ask again Kagome," he cut her off. "Now climb onto my back."  
  
As if her name was the magic word, Kagome obediently climbed onto Inuyasha's back and wrapped her arms around his neck.  


  
"Ready?" he asked.  
  
"Y-yeah," she replied.  
  
"Alright then. Hold on tight and don't let go," he warned as he looped his arms around her legs and dashed into the woods with great speed.  


  
_He called me by my name again..._ Kagome thought with a smile as she tightened her grip around Inuyasha's neck. Her thoughts were cut off when Inuyasha suddenly spoke again.  
  
"Where do you live?" he asked, jumping from branch to branch.  
  
"Euhm...in a mansion a little East from where we met," Kagome replied.  
  
"We should be able to get there before dinnertime, don't worry," he reassured her.  
  
Kagome's lips curled up into a small smile. "Arigatou," she thanked him.   


  
"But how are you going to explain your injuries? And your dirty yukata?" he asked after running a while.  
  
Kagome thought for a moment before answering. "I'll think of something..."  
  
After that, the trip continued silently as Inuyasha focused on the path and Kagome on the landscape around them.  


  
~*~*~  


  
"We're here."  
  
"Eh?" Kagome responded surprised, not even realizing that the running had stopped and that they were standing in front of the gate of her courtyard.  
  
Slightly disappointed that it had ended so soon, Kagome climbed off of Inuyasha's back.   
  
When she opened her mouth to thank him for bringing her home, the silver-haired boy had already turned around to her with the small medicine bottle in his clawed hand. "Here...you'll need this more than me, especially when you don't want your father to worry about you," he said, handing over the bottle.  
  
"Arigatou," she smiled at his consideration and took the bottle.  


  
"Well, I guess I should be going now," Inuyasha decided as he turned to walk away.  
  
Kagome quickly halted him. "Will we meet again?" she asked hastily, afraid that he'll shut himself off from her again after today.  
  
A silence fell between them and her face dropped. "I guess n__"  


  
"I don't know about you but we're not going to move out of our house any time soon," he cut her off, without turning around to her. _  
Dammit, just answer her question you idiot!!_ he mentally scolded himself as he realized how cold he sounded.  
  
He released a sigh as he tried to come up with a better answer.  


  
At the same time, Kagome wondered what he was thinking as she heard him sigh. She was surprised when Inuyasha looked over his shoulder and gave her a friendly smile. "You know where to find me if you're bored," he said.  


  
It took Kagome several seconds to realize what it meant and a bright smile appeared on her face as she did so. "Okay!!" she responded with a quick nod. "Ja ne!"  
  
With that, she opened the small gate and entered the courtyard of her mansion.  


  
A calm expression appeared on Inuyasha's face as he stared at the gate a little longer before he finally turned around and walked away. _I guess...it's okay..._ he approved inwardly and disappeared into the forest.  


  
~*~*~*~  


  
"Ohayoo Inuyasha!!!"  


  
Inuyasha opened his eyes and dropped his gaze, only to see those familiar navy orbs again. "Ah," he responded casually as he sat up and stretched his arms.  
  
A couple of weeks had past since the day he had indirectly given her permission to bother him whenever she was bored and much to his surprise, there hadn't been a single day that she didn't.  
  
Strangely enough, he didn't find her everyday company annoying or bothersome at all.  


  
His attention was drawn again when Kagome called out to him again. "Inuyasha, come down here! I want to show you something," she said.  
  
Within seconds, Inuyasha jumped off the branch and walked up to her. "What is it?" he asked.  
  
"Look!" she said as she held up a bow and a quiver filled with arrows.  
  
They were both made of strong dark wood with edges coated in silver. The arrow, though not decorated with silver coating, were given soft crosshair-shaped tails made of white feathers instead. All of them were made for her age and height and fitted her perfectly.  
  
"It took me a long time to convince my father but it was worth it, don't you agree?" she asked, looking up at Inuyasha.  
  
"Keh! Can you actually use them?" he snorted, folding his arms together, obviously not impressed.  
  
Kagome blushed. "Well...no..." she admitted. "...but I can learn!"  
  
"Aren't you a bit young to learn how to use weapons?" he asked, eyeing her.  
  
She frowned. "Euhm...no? I mean...I'm twelve...but the earlier, the easier, right? I'm sure I'll be able to master archery in no time!!" she smiled confidently.  
  
"All talk and no action," Inuyasha smirked. "I won't believe you until you can prove your words."  


  
Kagome's face dropped but then suddenly a grin appeared. "You really sound like you know better...want to try using them?" she asked, holding up the bow and quiver to Inuyasha.  
  
"No way!" he refused. "I'm not going to use those! Bows and arrows are girls' stuff!!"  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you don't know how to use any other weapons than your claws."  
  
"Of course not you baka!" Inuyasha quickly defended. "I have a sword...a very powerful one made of my father's fangs and it belongs to me only," he said proudly.  
  
"Oh really? And where is this sword of yours? Why aren't you carrying it?" Kagome grinned. "Or are you just lying?"  
  
"I'm NOT!!" he growled as a blush of embarrassment colored his cheeks. "It's just...well...I'm not allowed to use it until I turn 18...so__"  
  
"Aha! So you can't prove it huh?!" Kagome cut him off. "Well then, I'm not going to believe you either, until you can prove YOUR words!"  
  
"You want prove? Come with me to my house and I'll show it to you!" Inuyasha argued.  


  
Kagome gave him a stupefied look. "Yeah right!" she snorted.  
  
"Why not? My father and half-brother are out of business and all of the servants were given a small holiday, so it will be just you and me," he explained.  
  
"The more reason I DON'T want to go to your house," she spat, giving him an distrusting look.  
  
Inuyasha widened his eyes. "What the...oh no...no no no...you're actually having some dirty thoughts aren't you?! Now look who's perverse!!" he cried.  
  
Kagome folded her arms together and stuck up her nose. "Still, I'm NOT going to believe your words and I WON'T go to your house to see your so-called prove!" she decided stubbornly.  


  
A moment of silence passed as Inuyasha thought about an alternative.  


  
"All right! Then I'll sneak into my father's chamber and get it. I'm sure it'll be alright since nobody's around for the coming days," he finally decided.  
  
"Sounds good to me," Kagome agreed. "When will you do it?"  
  
"Tonight," he replied without second thought. "Meet me here tomorrow at noon and I'll prove it to you that I'm not lying."  
  
"Okay, deal!" Kagome agreed, not really thinking before deciding.  
  
"Good! Then prepare to be amazed tomorrow," Inuyasha smirked as he turned to dash away.  


  
Suddenly Kagome remembered something. "Wait!! I can't tomorrow! Could we pick another day instead?" she cried after him.  


  
A smirk appeared on Inuyasha's face as he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "What's the matter? Afraid that I might actually prove you wrong?" he grinned.  
  
Kagome frowned. "Of course not!! It's just...well..."  
  
"No excuses!!" Inuyasha cut her off. "I'll see you here tomorrow at noon!! And that's final!!" he cried and quickly dashed away before Kagome could say anything else.  
  
"No wait!! W-wait..." her voice faltered as she realized he wasn't going to stop anymore. _  
  
Mou...what am I supposed to do now..._ she groaned inwardly, turning to walk away. _Father would be furious if I told him that I can't visit mom's grave just because of a stupid sword...but...Inuyasha isn't listening either..._ she sighed. _Stupid, stupid Kagome!!_ she scolded herself mentally. _  
  
B-but he would forgive me...right?  
  
Yeah...he would understand..._ she decided after pondering a moment and continued her promenade back to her house.  


  
~*~ the next day ~*~  


  
Inuyasha was walking through the forest with a long and thin object in his hand. It was a black scabbard with a sword in it. The edges of the scabbard was coated with gold together with the hilt of the sword, which had a thin red braided rope attached to it.   
  
A smirk formed on his face. _She's going to be fascinated by this. Oeh...I can't wait to see her surprised and defeated expression._ he thought to himself as his grip on the sword tightened.  


  
~*~  


  
After arriving at their usual meeting spot near the creek, Inuyasha sat down at the base of his favorite tree and leaned against its trunk. _It should be noon soon._ he thought, looking up at the sky, which had started to get cloudy. "I sure hope it doesn't rain today..." he muttered.  


  
~*~ meanwhile ~*~  


  
Kagome didn't know why, but she couldn't help but feel awfully guilty as she watched the landscape from behind the windows.  
  
She and her father were sitting inside a white carriage pulled by four brown horses. They were on their way to the grave of Kagome's mother, which was located on a nearby hill.  
  
"Father? Do you know when it will be noon?" she suddenly asked her father, who was sitting from across her.  
  
Her father looked like a very strict person. If you didn't know him well, you would never expect to hear that behind the stoic face, there was actually a very kind man who's just missing his deceased wife. He had short curly dark brown hair and eyes of the same color. And today, he was dressed in a formal black uniform, which completely matched the formal black dress of Kagome.  
  
"It should be noon soon," he replied monotonously. "Why do you ask?"  
  
Kagome quickly turned to the window again. "N-nothing...just curious..."  
  
After that, the trip continued with the two silently staring out of the windows of the carriage.  


  
~*~  


  
"Take your umbrella with you, it's going to rain soon," her father ordered after stepping out of the carriage.  
  
A worried look appeared on Kagome's face as she lifted her gaze up to the sky and realized he was right.  
  
The sky, which was blue before, was now dark gray. The bright sun had disappeared behind the thick clouds and the environment around them looked as if it was already evening.  
  
_He wouldn't still be waiting right?_ she asked herself mentally as she followed her father up the hill. She nodded to herself as she succeeded in reassuring herself. _He's probably gone home already...he should be since he's not the kind of person who would wait more than an hour._ she decided.  
  
Her thoughts were cut off by the voice of her father. "Kagome, come here and pray for your mother."  
  
"Hai," she acknowledged and walked to his side.  
  
She closed her eyes and put her hands together. In her mind, she began to tell her mother about the flower, about how she got pursued by the wolf tribe and most of all, how she got to meet Inuyasha.  
  
But before she could finish her story, a drop of water that landed on her joined hands interrupted her. She opened her eyes. _...Eh?_   
  
When she looked up at her mother's stone grave, which was becoming wet and darker of color, she realized it was raining. She quickly opened her umbrella and froze when she heard her father speak to her. "Is there something bother you, Kagome?" he asked, looking down at her.  
  
"N-no!! Of course not! I mean...euhm...well..." she stuttered as her voice faltered.  
  
Her father frowned. "Kagome," he said impatiently.  
  
Kagome sighed and confessed. "I...well...I kind of promised a friend to be at a our meeting spot by noon today... and my friend is probably still waiting for me right now..."  
  
"I see," he responded, raising an eyebrow.  


  
A short pause took place as Kagome dropped her gaze.  
  
"Well what are you waiting for then? It's not a lady's behavior to let a friend wait in the rain," he suddenly spoke.  
  
Kagome looked up to her father and widened her eyes. "You mean...I'm allowed to leave?" she asked hopefully.  
  
Her father smiled. "I don't know about you but I'm not going to stay here any longer with this rain pouring down. I'm sure your mother wouldn't mind it if we continued our visit on another day."  
  
She almost jumped a hole in the air. "Thank you father!!" she cried relieved, hugging him as she lowered her umbrella.  
  
"Come on. I'll have the coachman drop you off near your meeting spot," he said, pulling away and turning to leave.  
  
"Uhn!" she nodded and followed her father down the hill.  


  
~*~  


  
_Darn._ Inuyasha cursed as he looked at his soaked clothes and removed some wet strands of hair that got plastered onto his cheek. _Me and my big mouth..._   
  
But he got even angrier when he realized that he had been waiting for two hours already. _Where the hell is she?! What's taking her so long?! _ he cried mentally.  
  
Despite the fact that he was sitting near a thick tree, he still became wet because the rain was literally pouring down from the dark gray clouds. He didn't know when he had started to shiver but he quickly shook it off as soon as he realized it. He hate to admit it, but he was actually freezing when soft breezes collided with his wet garments, which were plastered against his skin.  
  
As he was too busy with complaining and keeping himself warm, he didn't realize that the rain had stopped for him and that someone was bowing over his form.  


  
~*~  


  
As soon as their carriage stopped, she jumped out of it and ran into the woods with her umbrella in her hands. _  
  
I wonder if he had already left..._ she pondered worriedly as she repositioned her umbrella to the shifting behavior of the wind and approached the old tree near the creek. Her eyes narrowed when she saw something red behind the trunk. When she walked around it, she widened her eyes.  
  
Kagome found herself looking down at a soaked Inuyasha (from aside), who was sitting at the base of the tree with a katana-like object resting against his shoulder. Maybe it was because of the noise caused by the pouring rain, because he didn't seem to notice that she was there as he kept staring out in front of him.   
  
She slowly walked closer to him and shared the protection of her umbrella with him as she slightly bowed over his sitting form.  
  
It was then that he finally realized her presence and lifted his gaze up to her.  


  
His face was expressionless at first, but then a scowl appeared. "What took you so long?!" he grunted.  
  
"G-gomen..." she apologized. "I-I___"  
  
"I've been waiting for hours already!! Are you toying with my patience or something?!" he cut her off.  
  
Kagome frowned. "No!! It's not like that!! It's just__"  
  
"No??? Well how come I get the feeling that you are!??" he cut her off again. "Just because you're rich doesn't mean you can toy with other people to amuse yourself!!"  
  
"I don't!!!" she argued, starting to get angry. "If you just let me expl__"  
  
"I'm soaked and have been like that for hours and you want me to be patient and listen to your excuses?!? You're really out of your m__" he cut himself off when he looked at Kagome's appearance. "W-why the hell are you dressed like THAT!?" he spat stupefied.  
  
Kagome sighed. "That's what I tried to tell you yesterday and what I'm trying to tell you now...today is the memorial day of my mother's funeral..." she explained.  
  
Just when she thought he would understand, she received a 'Feh!' instead.  
  
"This is great...this is just great!!" he groaned and began to stand up, using the trunk for support.  
  
Kagome became slightly worried as she watched how Inuyasha shivered and desperately tried to remain on his feet. "Are you okay?" she asked.  
  
Inuyasha eyed her and gave her a glance of annoyance. "Am I okay???" he repeated her question with a sarcastic tone. "I'm totally soaked and I'm freezing!! Do I look okay to you?!"  


  
Kagome offered a hand, only to be smacked aside by the dogdemon. "I'm fine! No thanks to you!!" he snarled as he walked pass her without looking at her.   
  
Kagome couldn't suppress her anger anymore and clenched her fists. "You could have just left you know?" she snarled, turning to him and almost instantly regretting it when she saw him freeze. "O-oh God...I-I'm sorry...I didn't m__"  
  
"You want to know why I kept waiting?!" he growled without turning around to her. "Because I was afraid that you might arrive once I've left!! I didn't want you to wait in the rain instead, that's why!!" he cried angrily.  
  
All of Kagome's anger extinguished as she heard this. She wanted to say something but was cut off again by the hanyou.  
  
"Save it," he sighed. "I don't need your second-thought apology." And with that, he just walked away with his sword clenched in his hand.  


  
Kagome just watched how Inuyasha disappeared into the woods and shortly after that, she started to leave the place too.  


  
-- at Kagome's house --  


  
After she got home, she quickly slipped into a comfortable white yukata and made herself a warm cup of mint tea before she retreated to her bedroom.  
  
It was a very cozy bedroom with creamy yellow walls and white carpeting. A white bed made of wood with white sheets and pillows stood against the wall from across the door and a low creamy blue nighttable of the same material could be seen next to it. A large wardrobe of the same blue color stood against the same wall with a long oval shaped mirror standing next on the floor next to it. And there was also a wooden dresser in the room with a comfortable chair in front of it, both having the same creamy blue color.  
Kagome's favorite spot was the corner of her bedroom near the window, where several large square and fluffy pillows were lying on the floor.  
  
After she had put her cup on the windowsill, she settled herself comfortable on one of the huge pillows and watched how the rain tapped against the window.  
  
Although the tapping sounds were supposed to be easing, the longer she watched the non-stop rain, the more she worried about Inuyasha. She couldn't help but remember how he shivered in the rain and looked as if he could faint and collapse to the floor any minute. The longer she thought about it, the greater the uneasiness in her heart became.  
  
_He'll be all right...right? I mean...he's a youkai...so he's got to be strong...right?_ she debated in her mind. _Besides...it should be just a little cold...he'll overcome it easily._   
  
She took her cup of mint tea and sipped it. _Yeah...a little cold won't break him...he'll be better in no time. He just needs a little bit sleep and water...and some...wait a minute..._   
Then Kagome realized something and frowned._ Didn't he say his father and brother are away? Which means...he's all alone at home!_ she concluded.  
  
She almost jumped up of shock when an almost deafening thunderclap could be heard from the outside. _Nobody's around...so he wouldn't be able to cook...or make himself a cup of warm milk...or even change his soaked clothes...oh my God! What if he fainted while walking up the stairs? Nobody would know and...and___   
  
Before she scared herself to death with all the possibilities in her head, she quickly got to her feet and hurried out of the bedroom into the main hall.   


  
When she ran around the corner, she bumped into someone and took several steps backwards. "G-gomen!" she apologized with a pant.   
  
When she looked up at the person she bumped onto, she realized it was her father. "F-father!"  
  
"What's the matter Kagome? Why are you running in the main hall like that?" he asked worriedly.  
  
"I-I...I just...I mean..." she stuttered, not being able to come up with a good excuse with her mind filled with worries about Inuyasha. "My friend...is sick...I have to go to him..." she finally confessed.  
  
Her father raised an eyebrow. "So it's a 'he'," he spoke. "And with this kind of weather? Do you know where he lives?"  
  
Kagome frowned, as she knew what her father was worrying about. "I'll manage somehow...please father, he's a very important friend of mine...please..." she pleaded.  
  
"A very important friend huh?" he said while pondering if he should let her go. But when he saw how desperate the look was, which she was giving him, he knew he had no other choice. "I guess I don't have any other choice...very well then...you may go." he gave in. "But! You have to be careful okay? And you have to come back once you've made sure he's fine by himself, understand?"  
  
Kagome's face brightened up in an instance. "Thank you!! Thank you father!" she cried and quickly ran pass him towards the cloakroom of the mansion. She quickly took her winter cloak from a coat-hook and put it on. It was a long thick brown cloak made of fur that reached below her knees.   
After she made sure she was well-protected against the cold breezes, she grabbed her umbrella and left the mansion.  


  
~*~  


  
After a long search through the forest, Kagome finally found the mansion of the inu-youkai. Without thinking anything else, she quickly climbed over the low gate of the courtyard and made her way to the mansion.  
  
When she was just about to knock at the huge massive wooden door, she realized it was ajar. "Inuyasha?" she called as she closed her umbrella and slowly pushed the door open.  
  
After she entered, she found herself in a huge space, which was apparently the main hall. But it was dark, since the candles on the walls weren't lit.   
  
Kagome quickly closed the huge door behind her and searched her cloak pockets for a pair of firestones. Her father always ordered her to take them along whenever she goes outside in case she got lost somewhere and she was glad about it...now more than ever. After she found them, she slowly made her way to a candleholder and began to create a flame.  
  
Within several minutes, there was finally some light shining in the main hall. Kagome stepped aside from the candleholder and turned around to explore the huge space.   
  
She narrowed her eyes when she saw something strange lying on the floor in front of the stairs at the end of the hall. She picked up the candleholder and started to walk towards the strange object.  
  
Her eyes immediately widened when she stood about 2 meters away from it.  
  
He was lying on his stomach on the cold marble floor with his face lying on its side. His red garments were drenched and his wet silver hair was spread unevenly over his back with some strands plastered onto his pale, sweating face.   
Short, yet deep pants caught her ears as she watched his back rise and fall at an unusual pace.  
  
She quickly ran to his side and knelt down next to his waist.  
  
"I...Inuyasha!!!!" she cried out his name.

* * *

The first cliffhanger of this story ^-^, cool huh? Be prepared, coz there will be a lot more!! To be honest with you, this is just a prolonged prologue of the story, the better parts are yet to come!! Anyway look forward to the next chapter!!   
  
**Next chapter:** Fever  
[**AN:** Sorry guys, I can't give you any sneak previews of the next chapter because I haven't written it yet. *grins* Oeh...even more suspense huh?]

  
**Vocabulary:**  
**kowakatta:** I was scared  
**arigatou:** thank you  
**dou-itashimashite: **you're welcome  
**ja ne: **I'll see you later  
**ohayoo:** good morning  
**ah: **sort of an acknowledgment, like 'yeah'  
**baka:** idiot  
**mou:** geesh  
**hai: **yes/okay  
**gomen: **I'm sorry

  
**REPLIES ON REVIEWS:**  
  
**Ks-Starshine: **Oh no not at all ^-^, as you can see I've already edited my chapter to correct that misuse of words. Thank you very much for telling me. Again, feel free to suggest anything that could be corrected.  
  
**angelkitty77: **Hahaha, well I'm glad you liked it!  
  
**winged*wonder:** I hope you've received the email I sent you. Thanks for reviewing.  
  
**Kagura wind fairy:** Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked it!  
  
**Kyia: **Thanks for telling me! I've corrected the mistake ^-^.  
  
**Guardian-of-the-night: **Thanks! And don't worry about that, I still love to read that in reviews.  
  
**whitemiko: **Thanks for your compliments ^-^! Don't worry, I always finish what I have started.  
  
**Rhexi: **Hahaha, I'm so happy to know you like my story ^-^ thank you!!   
  
**Chibi-Call: **Thank you!!  
  
**Inukamisashi:** Hahaha first I didn't know what you meant by "little girl" but then I realized you were talking about the girl from the flashback. Anyway thanks, I'm glad you like the chapter ^-^! And thanks for telling me which part you liked ^-^!  
  
~*~

  
Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~   
  
Posted: 2 February 2004  
Last Edited: 12 February 2004   
Spelling check: YES 


	5. Fever

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline.  


**AUTHOR'S NOTE**:  
Yosh! Another chapter done! Yeah, don't worry, I'm trying my best to pick up the pace of posting every chapter within 5 days. But I still can't promise I can keep that pace because no matter how relaxed my schedule may seem, I still get projects that need to be done and not to mention those horrible tests *grunts*, so please forgive me ne? Enjoy reading!!  


_Italic_: thoughts   
-- --: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~*~*~*~: time gap   
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**

-by Kittymui-

  
**Fever**

**  
Previously:**  
He was lying on his stomach on the cold marble floor with his face lying on its side. His red garments were drenched and his wet silver hair was spread unevenly over his back with some strands plastered onto his pale, sweating face. Short, yet deep pants caught her ears as she watched his back rise and fall at an unusual pace. She quickly ran to his side and knelt down next to his waist. "I...Inuyasha!!!!" she cried out his name.  


  
~*~*~  


  
_Who's...calling...my name...?_ Inuyasha groaned inwardly as he slowly opened his eyes. _W-where...am___   
  
"Arck!" he gasped as the bright light of the candleflame almost burned into his retina and quickly squeezed his eyes shut again.  
  
"Oh gomen!!" he heard a girl's voice apologize. After that he felt the light dim a little and he opened his eyes again, only to find the candleholder standing further away from his face. "W-who's there...?" he asked with a hoarse voice.  
  
"I-it's me...Kagome..." the voice replied.  
  
Inuyasha's ears twitched. "What...are YOU doing here?!" he growled, trying to sound as annoyed as possible.  
  
"I-I was__" she began.  
  
"Never mind...I don't want...to know..." he cut her off.  


  
A short silence took place until Kagome decided to speak again. "C-can you get up?" she asked with a small voice.  
  
Without answering her question, Inuyasha slowly began to push himself up from the floor.  
  
"Here, let me help y__" Kagome said as she walked closer to him but was halted when Inuyasha snarled at her. "Go away! I don't need anyone's help!" And he continued to get to his feet.  


  
After he straightened himself up, he turned to walk towards the stairs. But as soon as he took his first step, as sudden dizziness took over and he began to topple forward. He would have hit the hard floor quite painfully had Kagome not ran to his side and grabbed his arm to steady him.  
  
"What are you__" Inuyasha growled but stopped when she swung his arm over her shoulder and supported him with an arm on his back, while holding the candleholder in her other.  
  
"Work with me, I can't pull you up the stairs on my own," she said as she walked towards the stairs carrying him.  
  
Inuyasha hated to admit it but he was definitely too weak at the moment to climb the stairs on his own, so he silently gave in and let the girl help him.  
  
~*~  
  
A couple of minutes later, they were standing in front of the door of Inuyasha's bedroom.  
  
He pushed the door open and entered it with Kagome's help.  
  
The raven-haired girl carried him to his bed and turned away as he slowly changed into a dry white haori and hakama, threw his wet garments to the floor and settled himself under the soft red covers.  
  
"I'm fine by myself, now leave," he groaned as he closed his eyes.  
  
Kagome really wanted to walk away and leave the hanyou be but she dropped the idea when she saw the flower on his nightstand; the one she gave him almost a month ago. She was surprised to see how well-tended the flower was as it looked as though it was picked yesterday.  
  
She silently took off her shoes and made her way out of the bedroom.  


  
~*~  


  
Inuyasha sighed after he heard the girl close the door behind her. _God, this headache is really killing me..._ he groaned mentally.  
  
He became even more annoyed when he heard someone enter his bedroom again. _Sheesh, which part of 'leave' did she not understand?!_ he growled inwardly as he knew it was Kagome.  
  
"I thought I told you to leave," he muttered without opening his eyes.   
  
But the soft footsteps came closer to his bed instead of going further away.  
  
"I said l___" he growled aloud but instantly swallowed his words when he felt a cold yet extremely comfortable sensation land on his burning forehead.  
  
All of his anger and irritation vanished as the cold feeling started to ease the pulsating headache he was suffering. He slowly opened his eyes and turned his head slightly aside, only to meet a pair of dark blue ones.  


  
Their gaze was broken when Kagome took the now warm fomentation from his forehead and bowed to the bucket of water that she had put on the floor next to the edge of the bed.   
  
Inuyasha watched the serious yet gentle expression on her face as she diligently rinsed the heat off of the cloth.  
  
No wanting to know that he was looking at her, he quickly turned his head away to the other wall when he saw her lift up her gaze to him.   
  
He froze when he suddenly felt her cold hand on his cheek, gently forcing him to look at her again. "You're having a fever," she said with a soft voice as she gently dabbed his forehead with the cold cloth. "I have to lower your temperature or it will get worse."  
  
Inuyasha was surprised by what she said next:  
  
"I know you're probably hating me right now and want me gone as soon as possible, but at least...let me stay and take care of you..." she said as she dropped her gaze.  


  
Inuyasha silently pondered how he should respond to this and before he knew it, he was already covering her hand, which she didn't pull away from his cheek, with his clawed one.  
  
"I-I don't...hate you...Kagome," he managed to say with his hoarse voice.  
  
Kagome immediately lifted her gaze to Inuyasha again and watched how he formed a small smile with his dried lips. She was truly relieved to hear this and smiled as she continued to dab the rest of his face. "Arigatou..." she whispered.  


  
~*~ the next morning ~*~  


  
Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes as several rays of light came through the windows and landed on his face. He slightly turned his head aside to avoid the blinding light and found himself looking at a clear blue sky with retreating leftovers of the gray clouds of the day before. _T-the rain...has stopped..._ he thought.  
  
Then he suddenly realized something. _Wait...where's Kagome?_ he thought alarmed as he quickly sat up and scanned the room.  
  
He relaxed when he found her.  
  
She was sitting half on the floor with her head resting on top of her folded arms on the edge of his bed. A white clip on the back of her head held most of her raven-black hair together with loose tresses hanging from it here and there. Although it was done roughly, Inuyasha found it rather pretty, if not natural. He concluded that she was still asleep as he watched her shoulder rise and fall at a slow pace.  
  
Inuyasha frowned when his gaze drifted to Kagome's clothes. The lower part of her yukata, which should have been white like its upper half, was now brown and filled with stains of dried mud.  
  
It took him several seconds to realize that the girl had practically gone through yesterday's storm to find his house...to find him.  
  
"Baka, why did you risk your life coming here?" he whispered as he removed some strands of hair from her face. "Your could have gotten lost with that storm or worse...you could have died..."  
  
Not really expecting an answer, he widened his eyes when Kagome suddenly groaned in reply. "I..." she began."...was worried..."  
  
He leaned closer to her and was surprised to realize that the girl was talking in her sleep. _Stupid girl..._ he chuckled inwardly as he continued to watch her sleeping face.   
  
His lips curled up into a small smile when he faintly recalled some parts of what happened last night. Parts in which he saw the worried look on her face as she desperately tried to cool down his head with the wet and cold cloth. Parts in which he felt her cold hands on his forehead when she measured his temperature. And parts in which he heard how she tried her best to be as silent as possible as she changed the bucket of water.  


  
His thoughts were cut off when he heard her wake up and saw her open her eyes. "Hiya sunshine girl," he smiled, drawing her eyes to him.  
  
She returned a smile and rubbed her eyes. "H-how are you feeling?" she asked.  
  
"A lot better than yesterday. My headache is gone and I think my fever is gone too," he replied.  
  
"Really? Let's check it out then," she smiled as she stood up and sat on the edge of the bed.  
  
She raised her hand to touch his forehead and compared the temperatures as she covered her own forehead with her other hand.  
  
This time, Inuyasha was the one who blushed after realizing the small proximity between his face and hers.   
  
He cleared his throat and averted his gaze as Kagome finally pulled away her hand. "Your fever is indeed gone," she agreed. "But that doesn't mean it won't come back, so you still have to be careful."  
  
With that, she stood up, taking the bucket of water with her and turned to the door.  


  
"A-are you going to leave now?" Inuyasha suddenly asked when Kagome was just about to open the bedroom door.  
  
Kagome didn't quite know what he meant by that so she turned around to him. "Do you want me to leave?"  
  
Inuyasha frowned. "Hey! I asked you first!" he argued.  
  
"Yeah and now I'm asking you!" Kagome responded. "If you want me to leave, I'll leave. If you want me to stay, I'll stay." _I can't believe he's actually asking me that...he's just going to send me away after all I've done last night to keep his fever down?!_ she thought frustrated.  


  
"I don't..." he started after a short silence. "...I don't want you...to..."  
  
Kagome's face dropped. _He's going to send me away..._ she concluded inwardly and turned to the door.  
  
"...leave..."  
  
She froze and blinked several times before turning to Inuyasha again. "What...what did you just say?" she asked.  


  
"I said...I don't want you to leave," Inuyasha repeated.  
  
Kagome smiled, partly because she almost scared herself to death and partly because she was really happy to hear that from him. "Then I'll be right back. I've hung your clothes outside after the rain stopped so they should be dry by now...I'll get them for you so you can get changed," she responded.  
  
"Thank you," Inuyasha smiled. "...for taking care of me last night...and for coming."  
  
"You're welcome," she replied, returning a smile and exited the room.  


  
~*~  


  
After Kagome closed the door behind her, Inuyasha slowly got out of his bed and made his way towards the window.  
  
He inhaled the mix of scents that lingered in the room and pondered which of them smelled better; the flower called Kagome or the girl named after it.  
  
As he continued his pondering, he didn't realize that the girl had returned with his clothes and was literally staring at him.  


  
~*~  


  
_Kirei..._ Kagome thought.  
  
She wanted to call out to Inuyasha when she entered the room but she had lost the ability to talk as soon as the beauty of the sight before her caught her eyes.  
  
His golden orbs were staring mindlessly at something on the horizon as the owner of them stood silently in front of the window. His beautiful silver tresses rested calmly on his shoulders while the rest hung loosely behind his back. A sigh almost escaped her mouth when she watched how the silver-haired boy raised his clawed hand and shielded his beautiful eyes from the blinding rays of the sun.   


  
~*~  


  
_How long is she actually going to stand there and stare at me?_ Inuyasha mused inwardly. _Hmm...would she be surprised if I asked her that?_   
  
A mental grin formed on his lips. _Let's find out, shall we?_   


  
"How long are you planning to stand there with my clothes?" he suddenly asked without looking at Kagome.  
  
He had to suppress a chuckle when a small gasp confirmed the question he asked himself a while ago. Although he didn't see it, he knew the Kagome had immediately dropped her gaze and started to blush.  


  
~*~  


  
Kagome slowly walked over to Inuyasha and held up his red clothes to him without looking up. "Here," she said. "I-I'll wait for you in the hall..."  
  
With that she quickly turned around and hurried out of the room.  
  
She closed the door behind her and leaned against it with her back. "Baka! Kagome you baka!" she scolded herself softly. "You're not supposed to stare at him like that...baka!!"  
  
She continued to scold herself as she did her best to suppress the burning blush that had started to color her cheeks.  
  
Little did she recall that the door wasn't made of soundproof material and that the boy behind it was in fact an inu-youkai and hence had an excellent sense of hearing.  


  
~*~  


  
Inuyasha wanted to laugh out loud but managed to force it into a wide grin when he heard Kagome scold herself behind his door.   
  
He quickly changed into his favorite red garments and innocently continued eavesdropping until a small squeaking-sound that came of the door caught his ears.  
  
His lips curled into an evil grin as an idea popped up inside his head. _Hmm...I wonder... _   


  
~*~  


  
Busy as she was with smacking herself mentally, Kagome didn't realize that she had started to lean against Inuyasha's door with her full weight.  
  
She widened her eyes when the support of her back disappeared as the door suddenly swung wide open and she started to fall backwards. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for the painful impact with the floor. But it never came.  


  
When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in the arms of Inuyasha, who had a victorious grin on his face.  
  
"You meany!!!" she scowled as she quickly straightened herself up and took several steps away from him.  


  
A moment of silence took place as Kagome stared at Inuyasha with a scowl on her face and he stared back with his victorious grin.  
  
It broke when Inuyasha finally decided to speak. "Do you want to change into something cleaner?" he asked, dropping his grin.  
  
Kagome dropped her gaze to her clothes. She didn't realize before, but her white yukata was dirtier than she had thought. "I guess..." she replied.  
  
"All right then! Follow me!" he smiled as he walked away.   
  
And Kagome followed.  


  
~*~*~  


  
"Tada!!" he said as he pushed open a pair of white doors and entered a huge chamber.  
  
Kagome almost dropped her jaw when she followed him into the chamber.  
  
It was a very large room with sky blue walls and white carpeting. There were bookcases standing perfectly next to each other against one wall, with a beautiful red diva in front of them and a queen-size bed against the other wall from across. There was also a dresser in the room with a beautiful small round mirror standing on it.  
  
"Feel free to watch and explore, but don't touch anything okay? I'll be right back," Inuyasha said before walking towards a huge brown wardrobe that stood near the bed.  
  
Kagome nodded and started her promenade through the large room.  
  
She stopped when she stood in front of a large portrait that hung on the wall on top of a fireplace.  
  
It was a portrait of a woman sitting on a red diva, which Kagome recalled was the same furniture she had seen near the bookcases. _She must be a noble lady._ she thought as she looked at her clothes.  
  
The woman in the portrait was wearing a silky with yukata with golden flowers embroidered on it here and there. Her hands were resting on a book that lay on her lap as she had her upper body slightly turned to the painter.   
A genuine smile could be seen on her calm face as dark hair framed it. The upper part of her hair was held together on the back of her head by something, which could only be seen and reached by the eyes of the memory, while the rest of it either rested on her shoulder or hung loosely behind her back.  
  
It took Kagome only a glance at the eyes, which held the color of chestnuts, to realize who the woman -and probably the owner of this chamber- was. "Is this...your mother...?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah...how did you know?" Inuyasha replied as he approached Kagome.  
  
"You have her eyes," she explained, shifting her gaze between Inuyasha and the woman in the portrait. "Although they're not of the same color, but the shape of them is identical."  
  
Inuyasha smiled.  
  
Kagome returned a smile and suddenly realized he was holding something in his hands. "What's that?" she asked, pointing at it.  
  
"Oh you mean this? I found it in my mother's wardrobe. It's from when she was around your age so it'll probably fit you," he explained as he held it up to her. "Try it on."  
  
Kagome widened her eyes. "B-but I really shouldn't___"  
  
"I'm sure my mother wouldn't mind me lending you some of her clothes," he cut her off.  
  
Kagome hesitated a moment before taking it.  
  
"You can change behind those screens," he pointed at a row of black screens near the bed. "I promise I won't peek."  
  
She nodded and walked towards the screens he pointed at.  


  
~*~  


  
Inuyasha stared out in front of him while sitting on his mother's diva until he heard Kagome's voice.  
  
"How do I look?" she asked, coming from behind the screens and spreading her arms.  
  
Inuyasha almost dropped his jaw at the sight of her.  
  
She was now wearing a soft pink yukata with red edges and sakura blossoms embroidered here and there. It looked as thought it was custom-designed just for her, for it fitted her perfectly.  
  
"You look great in it. My mother would be very happy to know that someone was able to wear it and accentuate its beauty more than her," he smiled.  
  
Kagome blushed. "Stop that! You're embarrassing me!" she cried.  
  
"I'm only telling the truth," he replied as he walked up to her and slightly bowed. "Well then, since milady is a visitor of this humble home of mine, it would be my task and honor to make sure she is well-served," he teased.  
  
Kagome giggled and decided to play along. "Now that you ask, I haven't eaten since yesterday so I'm kind of hungry right now," she replied.  
  
"In that case, let me guide you to the dining area," he responded as he raised his arm to her.  
  
Kagome put her hand on his arm and together they walked out of the bedroom of Inuyasha's mother and made their way to their destination on the first floor (ground floor).  


  
~*~ later ~*~  


  
"You sure that you'll be fine by yourself?" she asked, taking her coat in her hands.  
  
Inuyasha nodded. "I'll be fine. Besides, you wouldn't want your father to worry too much about you, right?"  
  
"What about your mother's yukata?" she asked, looking down at the garment that she was still wearing.  
  
He smiled. "You may keep it since it fits you so well."  
  
"B-but__"  
  
"No buts. I've already decided." he cut her off.  


  
Disappointed that she had to leave so soon, Kagome reluctantly walked towards the main door with Inuyasha behind her.  
  
Before she raised her hand to the doorknob, an idea popped up and she quickly turned around to Inuyasha, startling him. "Say, why don't you escort me home?" she suggested. "You know it's not safe for a girl like me to walk through that forest on my own."  
  
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow as he recalled how she had managed it yesterday without any complaints.  
  
"Oh well, I guess I could...since I've got nothing betters to do," he finally replied.  
  
_Yey!_ Kagome cheered inwardly as she opened the main door and exited the huge main hall together with Inuyasha.  


  
~*~*~*~  


  
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*  


  
The sound of footsteps could be heard as someone approached the door from behind. "Who is it?" a male's voice asked.  
  
"It's me, Kagome. I'm back," Kagome replied.  


  
The door opened, revealing a middle-aged man dressed in a traditional dark green haori and black hakama.  
  
"Good evening father, I have returned," Kagome greeted him with a polite bow.  
  
Her father frowned. "I was really worried when you didn't come back last night."  
  
Just when Kagome was about to apologize, Inuyasha suddenly stepped forward next to her and slightly bowed. "Please accept my apology in your daughter's place, sir. For I was the reason why she had to travel through that horrible storm yesterday," he said politely.  


  
Kagome's father raised an eyebrow as he digested Inuyasha's words. "I see..." he said after a moment of silence and turned to his daughter. "So this is the 'very important friend' you mentioned?"  
  
Inuyasha widened his eyes and turned to Kagome who was blushing dark shades of red.   
  
"F-father!!! M-mou...!!!" Kagome stuttered as embarrassment was written all over her face.  
  
"What? It was just a normal question," her father responded innocently. "If he is indeed that 'very important friend of yours'..." he teased, causing Kagome to blush even darker shades of red. "...then he doesn't seem 'very sick' to me."  


  
"That's all thanks to your daughter's help, sir," Inuyasha explained instead of Kagome, who had spaced out of the embarrassment.  
  
Kagome's father smiled. "Is that so? Then I should thank you for ensuring her safety by escorting her back here."  
  
"No problem," Inuyasha returned a smile. "But I think it's time for me to go back."  
  
It was then that Kagome snapped out of it. _...Eh? So soon...?_ she thought, slightly disappointed.  


  
"Don't you want to stay for dinner?" her father asked, wanting to know this young lad better.  
  
Inuyasha shook his head. "I would love to, but I cannot leave our house unguarded," he explained.  
  
Kagome's father nodded understandingly. "It can't be helped then. I'm sure there will be another time. It was very nice meeting you," he smiled.  
  
"Pleasure is all mine," the hanyou responded before turning to Kagome. "I'll be seeing you around then."  
  
Kagome returned a smile and nodded. "Be careful on your way home."  
  
After that, he turned to leave and Kagome watched how he disappeared behind the gate of her courtyard into the forest.  


  
"He must be one of the two sons of the inu-youkai family that lives around here, isn't he?" her father suddenly asked out of the blue.  
  
"Yup. His name is Inuyasha," Kagome nodded.  
  
"The eldest of the two?"  
  
She turned to look at her father. "No, he's the younger one."  
  
"That's strange," he frowned. "From what I've heard, the youngest son should be a rude and foul-mouthed boy...yet this young lad seemed rather...polite."  
  
Kagome grinned. "Well, you're not entirely wrong, because he was indeed rude and arrogant when I first met him," she explained. "But he isn't born that way...he's good by nature."  
  
"Then how come the sudden change?" her father pondered aloud, half innocently.  
  
Kagome blushed as a possibility popped up in her mind but she refused to share it with her father.  
  
Then her father suddenly nudged her with his elbow and grinned. "Hehehe, what did you feed him?"  
  
She widened her eyes. "Father!! What the__"  
  
"Just joking!!" her father laughed, cutting her off, and huggled her.  
  
"It's not like I had expected anything else from my sweet Kagome," he smiled. "You must have melted his cold heart with your heartwarming kindness, didn't you?"  
  
Kagome's jaw almost dropped at this as tons of blood flushed her cheeks.  
  
"Aha! You're not denying it so it's true!! Hahaha," her father laughed as he released her and made his way back into the house.  
  
"Stop making fun of your own daughter!! Mou!!!" Kagome cried as she stomped the floor and ran after her father.

* * *

Liked it? Hated it? Found a mistake? Have a question? Please let me know with a small review ^-^!! If you want to be notified whenever I update, just give me your emailadress through your review and I'll add you to my mailinglist!   
Please look forward to the next chapter!  
  
**Next chapter: **A promise

  
~*~   
  
\\"Who is it?"//  
  
\\"It's me...Inuyasha, can I come in?"//  
  
\\"NO!!"//  
  
\\(...) w-when I look in the mirror, all I see is that...ugly...wound...now everybody would say 'what an ugly girl' and then...I'll be all alone...until the day I die...n-nobody would want to have a scarfaced girl...like me..." she sobbed.//  
  
\\"I will..."//  
  
~*~

  
**Vocabulary:**  
**gomen:** I'm sorry  
**hanyou: **half-demon  
**arigatou:** thank you  
**kirei:** pretty/beautiful  
**baka:** idiot/moron  
**inu-youkai: **dog-demon  
**mou: **geez, it's something people say when they're displeased with something  
  
~*~

  
**REPLIES ON REVIEWS:**  
  
**Ks-Starshine: **Thank you very much ^-^!!  
  
**Kyia:** Thanks!!  
  
**sky77: **Thank you very much for your compliments. I'll be sure to check on your story from time to time ^-^!   
  
**seikkyokuka:** Hahaha don't worry, Inuyasha is one of the main characters of this story so it's quite impossible for him to die.  
  
**winged*wonder: **Hmm, I don't think I recall someone mentioning in the original series that hanyou's can't get sick but maybe I missed it ^-^. Anyway this is an Alternate Universe and Inuyasha is half human and most importantly, I'm the author so I can make everything happen *grins*.  
  
**Chibi-Call: **Thanks!  
  
**Inukamisashi: **Thanks for reviewing! I'll try to update as soon as possible!  
  
**Tig: **Sorry about the cliffhangers but they make the story more interesting don't you agree? Besides, I'm not that evil to let readers drown in the suspense for more than a week, so don't worry. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**whitemiko: **Glad you liked the previous chapter! I hope you will continue to like this story ^-^!  
  
**Kagura wind fairy: **Pfew *wipes sweatdrops* I'm glad that you weren't sad because of the cliffie hahaha ^-^! Thanks!  
  
**Guardian-of-the-night: **Thank you for reading my other stories also, I'm glad they inspired you to start your own story! Thank you for telling me!  
  
~*~

  
Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~   
  
Posted: 6 February 2004  
Last Edited: 6 February 2004  
Spelling check: YES 


	6. A promise

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**:  
Hi all!! Here's another chapter of Destiny! Enjoy reading!!

_Italic_: thoughts   
-- --: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~*~*~*~: time gap   
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**

-by Kittymui-

  
**A promise**

~*~*~*~

_There's no way I'm going to let her send me away again._ Inuyasha thought as he determinedly walked closer to the main door.  
  
It has already been three days since she had so-called fallen ill and every time he paid a visit, she refused to let him see her, as she was afraid of contamination of some kind. He knew there was something else and he wanted to know why. That's why this time; he's definitely going to see her, even if he has to break down the walls.

  
*KNOCK KNOCK*

  
"Who is it?" a familiar voice asked.  
  
"It's Inuyasha," he replied.  
  
The door opened and revealed Kagome's father behind it. "Hello Inuyasha, did you come to see Kagome again? But I'm afraid she will send you away again today."  
  
He smiled. "Don't worry sir. That won't stop me from paying a visit."  
  
Kagome's father stepped aside and let him enter the house. "She's in her bedroom as usual. She's been there ever since...I'm truly starting to worry about her, but she refuses anyone to enter her room except for her personal maid," he sighed.  
  
Inuyasha's ears twitched as he heard this. _Aha! So there is actually someone who knows what's going on._ He thought hopefully. "Where is this maid of hers?" he asked.  
  
The father closed the door behind him. "She should be preparing my daughter's lunch at the moment, you'll find her in the kitchen."  
  
"What should I address her by?" he inquired.  
  
"Her name is Maya and she's just a few years older than Kagome." Kagome's father explained.  
  
"Thank you," Inuyasha said and made his way towards the kitchen.

  
~*~

  
Just when he was about to enter the kitchen, a girl, holding a tray filled with food, suddenly came out of it, startling him.  
  
The girl indeed looked around Kagome's age. She had dark brown eyes and long black hair tied into a thin braid with a pink ribbon at the end.   
  
"You must be Maya," Inuyasha said as he noticed the typical combination of a black dress with a white apron that the girl was wearing.  
  
She nodded and slightly bowed. "Y-you must be the Inuyasha-sama that milady is always talking about," she said politely.  
  
"Please...do drop the formality," he smiled. "There's something I need you to help me with."  
  
The maid straightened herself up and gave him a puzzled look. "H-hai?"  


  
~*~  


  
Kagome gently touched the white bandage when she heard someone knock at the main door below. _It's Inuyasha..._ she concluded in her mind.  
  
Kagome was dressed in a creamy yellow yukata with red embroidered sakura blossoms near her right shoulder and her feet.  
  
A part of her really wanted to go out of her room and meet him...but another part of her rejected the idea as she reminded herself of the reason why she shouldn't. _If only I hadn't taken the shortcut that day, then I wouldn't bump onto that arrogant bastard again...and I wouldn't____   
  
She almost jumped up of shock when someone knocked at her bedroom door. "W-who is it?"  
  
"It's me...Inuyasha," the person behind the door replied. "Can I come in?"   
  
"NO!" she cried nervously. "D-don't..."  
  
"But Kagome...you haven't left your room for three days now...your father is worried about you...I'M worried about you," he pleaded.  
  
Kagome dropped her face. "I-I'm sorry...but I can't...so please...go home okay?"   
  
"Fine!" she heard him grumble, followed by loud footsteps descending the stairs and the sound of the main door opening and closing.  
  
_I'm sorry...Inuyasha..._ she mentally apologized again.  
  
Shortly after that, someone knocked at the bedroom door again.

  
*KNOCK KNOCK*

  
"Who is it?" she demanded again.  
  
"Kagome-sama, it's Maya. I have brought you your lunch."  
  
Kagome walked to the door and unlocked it with a turn of the key in the keyhole. "Come in," she answered as she turned around and made her way towards her bed again.  
  
"I'll put the tray on your dresser milady." Maya said as she put down the tray and slightly bowed before she turned to leave the room.  


  
"W-was he...angry...?" Kagome suddenly asked, causing the maid to stop and turn around.  
  
"I beg your pardon milady?"  
  
Kagome sat down on the edge of her bed with her back to the maid. "Was he angry...when he left?" she repeated.  
  
"You mean Inuyasha-sama?" Maya asked.  
  
She nodded.  
  
The maid thought for a moment before answering. "Milady, he was rather more disappointed and worried than angry when he walked pass me on the stairs.  


  
A short moment of silence took place until Maya decided to speak again. "Forgive me for asking milady, but why do you refuse to meet him every time he pays a visit?" she asked out of curiosity.  
  
Kagome sighed. "Because I don't want him to see me...not like this..." she replied as she caressed the large square-shaped white bandage that was covering most part of her left cheek.  


  
She found it strange that her maid hadn't responded to her explanation but didn't pay attention to it as she was too busy with her own thoughts.  
  
Then suddenly, the silence was broken again. But this time, it wasn't Maya who asked a question. It was a person who Kagome knew all too well.  
  
"Like what?"   


  
Kagome widened her eyes and jerked her head aside a little, enough to get a good view of the person behind her and keep her bandaged cheek out of sight at the same time. And there he was, at the corner of her eye.  
  
"I-Inuyasha!!" she gasped.  
  
"Like what Kagome?" he repeated with a serious tone.  
  
He knew he would startle her by suddenly entering her bedroom but the suspense became unbearable the longer he listened to the feeble conversation between her and her maid.  
  
He had silently jumped up the stairs again as soon as he finished faking his departure. And he settled himself against the wall next to the door of Kagome's bedroom, which he asked the maid to deliberately leave ajar, so that he could find out what was wrong with Kagome. But he became impatient and had entered the room and non-verbally asked Maya to leave them alone without Kagome's notice.  


  
Kagome quickly turned away her face. "Where's Maya?? Why are you in my room?!" she asked panicky.  
  
"I've asked her to leave, so it's just you and me now," he replied.  
  
Kagome scowled. _That Maya...how could she___ her thoughts were cut off when she heard Inuyasha approach the bed.   
  
"No!! Don't come near me!!" she cried.  
  
The sound of footsteps stopped. "Why Kagome? What is wrong???" Inuyasha asked frustrated, only to be replied with a silence.  
  
"Kagome," he sighed impatiently. "We've known each other for almost a year now! Why won't you tell me what's wrong?"  


  
"B-because..." she began, unable to finish as she dropped her gaze to her feet on the white carpet.  
  
She widened her eyes when she saw a pair of feet before hers and quickly looked up, only to see a shocked expression on Inuyasha's face.  
  
"W-what's with that bandage on your cheek?" he asked with wide eyes.  
  
"NO!!! DON'T LOOK AT MY FACE!!!" Kagome cried as she quickly covered her cheek with one hand and turned away from Inuyasha.   
  
She climbed onto her bed and scooted away when she felt another weight on the mattress. "Go away...please..." she pleaded.  


  
Inuyasha sighed. "So that's why you are avoiding me? Just because of a scratch?"  
  
"It's NOT a scratch...it's a horrible wound...it's ugly...a-and I'm ugly..." she argued.  
  
"Hey...you're not ugly Kagome," Inuyasha frowned. "Look at me Kagome."  
  
Kagome turned her head a little to look at him out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"You are NOT ugly...okay?" he restated with a serious expression.  
  
Just when he thought he had succeeded in convincing her, she turned away again. "That's what you think...you haven't even seen it yet...this...this horrible wound..." Kagome dropped her gaze as tears welled up in her eyes. "W-when I look in the mirror, all I see is that...ugly...wound...now everybody would say 'what an ugly girl' and then...I'll be all alone...until the day I die...n-nobody would want to have a scarfaced girl...like me..." she sobbed.  


  
Inuyasha frowned when the scent of saltiness filled the air and the sound of drops of liquid landing on the covers caught his sensitive ears. _She's...crying..._ he concluded and bit his lower lip. _I don't want her to cry...I don't want her to be sad at all...but what can I do...?_ he asked himself mentally as he looked up at her shoulders, which jolted with every sob she made.  
  
As his mind was occupied with finding a way to stop her weeping, he instinctively stretched out his arms to her. And before he knew it, he had wrapped them around her waist and pulled her to his chest.  


  
"I will..." he whispered in her ear as he tightened his embrace and leaned his cheek against her hair.  
  
Kagome widened her eyes. _...Eh???_ And pulled away to look at Inuyasha with a puzzled expression.  


  
"If nobody wants to have you...I will..." he repeated, looking down at her.  
  
Her eyes widened even more as she heard this and she just couldn't believe her ears. _What...why...i-is he serious...???_ She thought bewildered. But then she dropped her gaze again. "Y-you're just saying that to comfort me...I mean...you're only fourteen...and I'm only twelve...a-and you...I mean we...aren't even in love with each other..." she sobbed.  


  
"I admit that I don't feel for you that way right now," Inuyasha confessed as he lifted her gaze up to him again with his hand on her chin. "...but I will fall in love with you eventually...Kagome."  
  
Kagome almost dropped her jaw as she heard this and her cheeks immediately reddened at his straightforwardness.  
  
"And when that time comes, I will ask for your hand in marriage," he continued with a genuine smile as he dried her tears with his thumb. "If you're not taken by someone else by then, that is."  


  
Kagome was still looking up at him with wide eyes. _I-is he actually making me an offer in marriage...??? B-but what if he's just toying with me...? How can I be sure of what he's s___   
  
"You don't believe me, do you?" Inuyasha smiled, having read her thoughts from her uncertain expression. "Then I guess I'll just have to prove my sincerity." With that, he leaned closer to her face and placed his lips on her forehead.  


  
Kagome froze and her heart skipped a beat when she felt his warm lips. She looked up at him with flushed cheeks and a blank expression when he pulled away again.  
  
"If you're still not convinced...then I guess I have no other choice than to ask your father up here to be a witness of my promise to you," the hanyou grinned and moved to get off of the bed.  
  
"NO!" Kagome cried and clasped his sleeves.  
  
"No what?" he asked with an evil grin on his face. "No, because you will never believe me no matter how many witnesses? Or no, because you believe me when I say I will fall in love with you eventually and will ask for your hand in marriage when I do?"  
  
His repeated offer in marriage made her blush even darker shades of red. She looked down at her hands that were still holding onto his red garment. "I...I believe you..." she whispered.  


  
Inuyasha settled down on the bed again and smiled. "I will keep this promise of mine Kagome," he said as he gently pulled her hands from his sleeves and held them in his. He was relieved when Kagome finally looked up at him with a smile on her face.   
  
_And now about that wound of hers..._ he thought as he raised his hand to the white bandage on her cheek.  
  
She saw this and flinched before he could reach her cheek.  
  
"Kagome, please," he pleaded as he reached out to her cheek again.  
  
This time, she let him and he was relieved about it.  


  
He took a corner and slowly began to peel it off. He stopped when he saw her frown. "I'm sorry, did it hurt?" he asked worriedly.  
  
Kagome shook her head. "Never...if it's you," she smiled.  
  
Inuyasha returned a smile and continued to peel off the bandage.  


  
A scowl appeared on his face when he finished the job. _This..._ he thought as he examined it more thoroughly.  
  
It wasn't just an ordinary wound caused by clumsiness. There were five parallel gashes running diagonally from her left ear to the bottom of her lower jaw.   
  
By the depth and size of the gashes, Inuyasha knew it had to be inflicted on purpose by someone or something with claws.  
  
"Who was it?" he asked.  
  
Kagome gave him a puzzled expression. "What do you m___"  
  
"Who did this to you?" he rephrased.  
  
She dropped her gaze. "I-I shouldn't have taken the shortcut that day...I didn't know he would be there...if I knew...I wouldn't even dream of taken that path..."  
  
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. _He...?_   
  
"He was harassing another girl...so I stepped in and told him to stop...and the girl got away...but then he got pissed...and he hit me...very hard..."  
  
A growl escaped Inuyasha's throat. "It was Kouga...wasn't it?"   
  
She widened her eyes. "H-how did you__"  
  
"His scent still lingers around the wound," he explained as he leaned closer and sniffed the set of gashes. "Don't worry, I will definitely make him pay for what he did to you," he whispered in her ear before he pulled away.  
  
"In the meantime...use the medicine I gave you for the wound, it should help, if not heal it completely," he said reassuringly.  
  
Kagome nodded and smiled. "Arigatou...Inuyasha."  
  
"Where are you going?" she asked as she saw him get off of the bed and walked towards the door.  
  
"I'm going to make the bastard pay for what he did to you," Inuyasha growled as he pushed it open. "There's no way I'm going to let him get away with this."  
  
_There's no stopping him I guess..._ Kagome thought to herself. "Promise you will come back?" she asked.  
  
"Ah," he replied before walking out of the room and closing the door behind him.  


  
~*~  


  
After hearing the sound of the main door opening and closing, Kagome pulled up her legs and leaned her chin on her knees while sitting on her bed.  
  
Her lips curled up into a wide smile as she replayed Inuyasha's words in her mind.  
_  
"If nobody wants to have you...I will..."  
  
"... I will fall in love with you eventually...Kagome...and when that time comes, I will ask for your hand in marriage."_  


  
A blush crept up her cheeks as her fingers touched the spot on her forehead where she felt his warm lips a moment ago.  


  
Her train of dreamy thoughts crashed when she realized someone had entered the room and was standing before her bed. When she looked up, she found herself looking into a pair of shocked eyes.  
  
"F-father?!" she gasped surprised.  
  
"K-Kagome...y-your cheek...h-how..." he stuttered out of shock.  
  
Kagome widened her eyes. _Oh no..._   
  
[AN: Her father doesn't know about that wound of hers, hence the reaction of Kagome.]  


* * *

Uh-oh...what's going to happen now? For your information, Kagome's father may seem very kind, but he is overly concerned about the wellbeing of his daughter since she's the only child. Combine this fact with how this chapter ended and the outcome will be...bum-bum-bum-bum...the next chapter ^o^!! Please look forward to it ne?  
  
**Next chapter: **Unwilled separation  
  
~*~   
\\"What do YOU want?!"//  
  
\\"Oh I think you already know...or should I refresh your memory and painfully remind you what the consequences are of laying a finger upon what's mine?"//  


  
\\"Kagome...?"//  
  
\\"F-father...h-he entered my room after you left...and he saw the wound on my cheek. He became angry and scared...a-and he said...he said..."//   
  
\\"What did your father say Kagome???"//  
~*~ 

  
**Vocabulary:**  
**-sama: **suffix that you put after someone's name whom you respect very much. Often translated as 'lord' or 'lady'.  
**hai:** yes  
**arigatou:** thank you

  
**REPLIES ON REVIEWS:**  
  
**Kagura wind fairy:** Good question ^-^. I was asking myself the same thing too hahaha. As a matter of fact, I haven't really thought about it. Because no matter how well I have planned out the chapters in advance, I will still end up changing a lot of things and thereby expanding the story. And about that prolonged prologue thing, it will end very soon...as a matter of fact (as you might have already derived it from the teasers of the next chapter) it will end with the next chapter ^-^. When I first started the story, I had two possibilities, either make the prologue short and start the real storyline right away, or make it long enough to show you readers how 'unforgetable' their childhood was and then start the real storyline. I really hope the prolonged prologue wasn't a bit too long (which would have become boring instead of interesting). Anyway enough of my endless rambling, I hope you will continue to like the story! Thanks for reviewing!  
  
**Ks-Starshine: **Thanks!! I hope you liked this chapter!!  
**  
whitemiko: **Thank you very much ^-^! I think your question has been answered now, has it not?  
  
**KaGs&YaShA: **Thanks! I'll try my best to update asap!  
  
**Kyia:** Thanks! I'm looking forward to reading them ^-^!  
  
**Inukamisashi:** Thanks!  
  
**Rhexi:** Hahaha you scared the hell out of me when you said you'd be lying if you said you liked it!! Thank God you loved it ^-^! Thanks!!  
  
~*~

Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~

Posted: 10 February 2004  
Last Edited: 12 February 2004  
Spelling check: YES 


	7. Unwilled separation

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline. 

** AUTHOR'S NOTE**:  
Hi all!! Pretty quick update huh? Anyway please enjoy reading this chapter!!

_ Italic_: thoughts   
-- --: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~*~*~*~: time gap   
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**   
  
-by Kittymui-  
  
**Unwilled separation**

**Previously:**  
Her train of dreamy thoughts crashed when she realized someone had entered the room and was standing before her bed. When she looked up, she found herself looking into a pair of shocked eyes. "F-father?!" she gasped surprised.  
"K-Kagome...y-your cheek...h-how..." he stuttered out of shock.  
Kagome widened her eyes. _Oh no..._

  
~*~*~ 

  
A low growl escaped his throat as the scent of the person he was tracking down became stronger with every leap he made through the air.  
  
_Found you..._ he smirked inwardly as he landed on a branch and dropped his gaze to the floor below.  
  
There he was, sitting near the trunk of a neighboring tree and taking a comfortable nap with his arms folded on his chest.  
  
Without second thought, Inuyasha jumped from the branch and landed softly on the grass several meters away from the sleeping wolf prince. 

  
"I didn't know you were THAT desperate to find a mate. Are you really that unattractive that you have to harass every single girl you encounter?" he mocked aloud to draw the wolf's attention.  
  
Kouga's eyes shot open and a scowl appeared on his face. "What do YOU want?!" he snarled, apparently not too happy that someone had interrupted his beauty sleep.  
  
Inuyasha raised his clawed and flexed it. "Oh I think you already know...or should I refresh your memory and painfully remind you what the consequences are of laying a finger upon what's mine?" he growled menacingly.  
  
"Oh...you mean the raven-haired girl..." the wolf grinned. "Well, she should have known better than to act like a heroine. So how is she? Still suffering from her vanity? You know, I can still remember how she cried uncontrollably after I hit her so hard that she stumbled to the floor," he chuckled. "The shocked look on her face when she realized she was bleeding is still fresh in my memory as if it happened yesterday." 

  
Inuyasha's eyes flashed red for a second as he heard this. "Teme...you should really watch your mouth, because you might be signing your death-sentence any moment now..." he warned, giving him a last chance to redeem himself.  
  
"Ohhh...I'm SO scared," the wolf spat instead.  
  
And then something snapped. Kouga didn't know whether it was the hanyou's mind or a twig beneath his feet but the next thing he knew was that the inu-youkai had lunged forward towards him with his claws first.  
  
Kouga managed to dodge the sudden attack by jumping away at the last moment. He watched in awe how the thick trunk was split in two by Inuyasha's claws.  
  
The hanyou straightened himself up and turned to him with a death glare.  
  
Kouga gulped. _Oh yeah...he's really pissed now..._ a little voice said in his head. He widened his eyes when Inuyasha launched another attack at him again. 

  
Furious as he was, Inuyasha kept swinging his claws at the wolf. "What's the matter wimpy wolf? No chance to attack??" he mocked.  
  
"Don't be so full of yourself, dog-turd. You haven't seen anything yet!" the wolf smirked in reply.  
  
"Prepare to die!!" Inuyasha cried as he swung his claw at the wolf. "SANKON TESSOU!!"  
  
He widened his eyes when his opponent disappeared before his claw hit him. _What the__?!_   
  
"Down here you stupid!" a familiar voice called. 

  
Inuyasha dropped his gaze and realized that Kouga had duck to the floor to dodge his claw attack.   
  
_Shit!!_ he cursed inwardly when he saw how the wolf put one of his hands on the floor and pivoted on it. But he realized it too late and was sent flying backward towards a tree when Kouga pushed himself off of the floor and shot a high kick at his stomach.  
  
"Arck!!" he cried as he collided with a trunk with his back and collapsed to his knees. 

  
"Keh!" Inuyasha spat. "I guess you've finally put some effort in those trainings of yours huh?"  
  
Suddenly he felt a burning sensation well up in his throat and he quickly coughed it out with his hand covering his mouth. 

When he looked down at his hand, he realized it was covered with blood...his blood.   
  
Yet instead of worrying about his injury he felt rather excited. _I haven't got the chance to use it since I was taught it...I hope I haven't lost it..._ he thought thrilled as he lowered his head until his bangs covered his eyes. 

  
"Shut up dog-turd, I don't want to hear that from you!!" Kouga snarled as he got to his feet and turned to him. He smirked when he saw the injured hanyou. "It's time to put an end to this."  
  
And with that, he began to dash towards Inuyasha with great speed. "DIE!!!" he cried as he raised his claws.  
  
He widened his eyes when Inuyasha suddenly raised his face and grinned at him. 

  
Inuyasha flexed his claws. "HIJIN KESSOU!!!!" he cried and swung his bloodstained claw, sending blades of blood flying towards the wolf.  
  
Kouga was totally taken by surprise and couldn't dodge the attack anymore. 

  
"AAARRGGHH!!" he cried out in pain as the blades cut through his armor and grazed pass his body. 

  
The wolf toppled backwards onto the grass and stiffened of the pain. Sever cuts and gashes could be seen all over his body and armor. "Y-you...bastard..." he groaned. 

  
Inuyasha slowly got to his feet and walked over to Kouga. "Let this be my last warning to you," he growled threateningly. "If you ever lay a finger on Kagome again...I swear I will tear off your limbs, one by one."  
  
With that said, he walked away, leaving the injured wolf prince behind. 

  
~*~ late afternoon ~*~

  
_I bet she will immediately cheer up again when I told her about that wimpy wolf. _Inuyasha smirked contented as he opened the gate and entered her courtyard.   
  
Just when he was about to walk up the stone steps to the main door, a faint sob caught his ears. _Who's there?_ He thought alarmed as he turned around and scanned the garden. His ears perked up when he heard it again. _There it is again!_   
  
He silently walked through the garden, following the origin of the sound, until he arrived at a large pond. He scanned the area until a large rock, which stood near the pond at a distance, caught his eye. 

_  
Someone's sitting on it..._ he realized and approached it. 

  
Inuyasha looked up and narrowed his eyes as he stood still before the huge rock.   
  
There was indeed someone sitting on top of the rock, with her legs pulled up and her face buried in her arms that were leaning on her knees.  
  
"Kagome...?" he asked, recognizing her raven-black hair and yellow yukata.  
  
He widened his eyes when she lifted her head from her arms and looked at him with teary eyes and wet cheeks. 

  
Without second thought, he jumped onto the rock and knelt down next to her. "What's wrong Kagome? Why are you out here? Why are you crying?" he asked worriedly. 

  
"Inuyasha!!!" she cried and buried her head into his red haori.  
  
Inuyasha almost immediately wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "What's wrong??? Are you hurt??"  
  
Kagome shook her head in his chest as she continued to sob in his chest.  
  
He gently stroked her hair. "Then what is it? Please tell me," he pleaded as he pulled away to look at her face, which was still wet of the tears.  
  
"I-I...don't want to l-leave...I don't want to..." she said, broken in sobs.  
  
Inuyasha frowned. "Leave...? What are you talking about Kagome?" 

  
"F-father...h-he entered my room after you left...and he saw the wound on my cheek. He became angry and scared...a-and he said...he said..." Before she could even finish her sentence, she burst into tears again and started to tremble.  
  
"What did you father say?? Kagome?" he asked as he became a bit scared of what the answer might be.  
  
As much as he wanted to know what was wrong, he knew he had to remain calm and if possible, try to calm down Kagome as well. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest again. "Shhh..." he whispered gently as he stroked her hair.  
  
Much to his relief, Kagome finally stopped trembling after a while and began to calm down in his embrace. 

  
He slowly released her from his embrace and pulled away a little. "Tell me Kagome...what did you father say when he saw that wound on your cheek?" he asked again.  
  
Kagome dropped her face. "H-he said...that it was too dangerous to stay here...in the forest...that we should never have come here...and that it would be a lot safer in the city..." she sobbed as tears started to fill her eyes once again. "...and he just decided it like that...by tomorrow morning...without even listening to me..." 

  
Inuyasha scowled when he realized what it meant. "So...you...are...moving away..." he said in disbelief.  
  
"Gomen nasai...Inuyasha...hontou ni...g-gomen nasai..." she apologized with her eyes closed as more tears flowed down her cheeks. "I had always...hoped...never to remind you of Kikyou again...of how she left you without a word...and never to have you reexperience the pain...of losing a friend again...yet now...I...I'm..." Her grip on his haori tightened as she dropped her face, allowing her bangs to cover her eyes and several strands of hair to escape from their place behind her ears. 

  
He was indeed frustrated and not to mention angry when the one thing he feared for had become a fact. Yet, no matter how strong these emotions were, he couldn't bring himself to direct them at Kagome. _Never...at her...not Kagome..._ he mentally decided as he pushed aside the strands of hair and placed them behind her ears again, where they belonged.  
  
Kagome slowly lifted up her face again until she was staring straight into his golden orbs. 

  
_She's really pretty..._ Inuyasha thought to himself as he stared into her teary blue ones. 

"Do you remember what I told you this morning? That I would fall in love with you eventually?" he asked with a gentle voice as he cupped her cheeks with both his clawed hands and dried her tears with his thumbs.  
  
The girl nodded and slightly leaned into his warm hands.  
  
He smiled as he leaned closer. "I think I just did." he whispered before he closed the gap between them and placed his lips on hers. 

  
~*~ 

  
Kagome was startled at first when she realized Inuyasha was kissing her, but strangely enough she didn't find the strength nor need to resist it and she slowly closed her eyes as she let her hands rest on his chest.  
  
It wasn't an obtrusive kiss, nor was it a passionate one. Words like 'lust' or 'need' did not fit in when one's trying to categorize it. It was inexperienced yet gentle and loving. It was _...sweet..._ Kagome thought dreamily. Yes, 'sweet' was the word to describe it. Not passionate, not polite...just sweet. 

  
Her eyes fluttered open when she felt his lips leave hers again.  
  
"I'm sorry..." he suddenly apologized. "I shouldn't h___"  
  
Inuyasha was halted when Kagome leaned onto his chest again and settled her head on the base of his neck just below his chin. "I don't want to be here until dawn...please take me somewhere else..." he heard her whisper. "...please..."  
  
Without a word, he scooped her up bridal style and jumped off the rock. "Hold on to me," he whispered as he approached the fence that separated the forest from the courtyard. And she responded by silently wrapping her arms around his neck.  
  
After he made sure she was ready, he jumped into the sky, over the fence and into the forest. 

  
~*~ that night ~*~ 

  
"It's beautiful..."  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"The moon...it's beautiful..."  
  
Inuyasha lifted up his gaze to the sky. "Yeah...you're right," he agreed when he saw the bright pale crescent moon.  
  
They were both sitting on the floor at the base of Inuyasha's favorite tree and looking up at the starry sky. Inuyasha was leaning against the trunk with his back and his legs were slightly pulled up and spread out a little. His arms were curled beneath the arm-pits of Kagome, who was sitting between his legs and leaning against his chest with her back, while his hands rested on her stomach.  
  
"Ne Inuyasha?" she started.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Will we ever meet again?"  
  
"You know where to find me if you're bored," he replied, using the same answer he had given her when she asked the same question almost a year ago (see chapter 4).  
  
Kagome frowned as she sat up and looked over her shoulder to him. "I'm serious!" she pouted. 

  
Inuyasha smiled. "Don't worry...we will..." he replied seriously.  
  
Kagome's lips curled into a small smile, but it disappeared as soon as it came. "What if we won't?" she said as she turned her face away again. 

  
Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to his chest again. "Then I'll search for you until I've found you," he whispered in her ear.  
  
Kagome turned to her side and leaned her head onto his chest. "Arigatou..."  
  
He responded by tightening his embrace and placed a kiss on top of her head. 

  
~*~ the next day ~*~ 

  
"You better take good care of yourself, because I refuse to take a wrinkled woman as my mate," Inuyasha teased.  
  
Kagome widened her eyes of disbelief and turned to him as she covered the white bandage on her cheek. "But you said__"  
  
"Hey! I can live with several scars...but I don't think I can survive a wrinkled girl at a young age," he cut her off.  
  
"Well sorry about that! But I'll get wrinkles eventually when I grow older!" she argued as she stuck up her nose. 

  
"Not if we are mated," he stated plainly.  
  
Kagome blushed deep shades of red as she heard this and averted her gaze. She was indeed very curious but was too embarrassed to ask for an explanation. 

  
Inuyasha smiled when he saw the curiosity written all over her face. "When humans mate with youkai, their lifespan and youth will be extended to match the one of the youkai," he explained.  
  
Kagome nodded understandingly but then she remembered something and before she knew it, she already blurted out half of the question. "But then your mother___" She quickly halted herself but realized it was already too late.  
  
The hanyou shook his head to let her know he didn't mind. "A shared lifespan and youth doesn't mean humans also share the same resistance against diseases," he explained. "My mother died because of an incurable lung-disease."  
  
"I'm sorry," she apologized.  
  
"It's okay," he smiled. 

  
A silence fell between them, only to be broken again when Kagome heard her name.  
  
"Kagome! We really have to go now!!" her father called before he disappeared into their white carriage  
  
Kagome was surprised when Inuyasha took her hand in his. "Let me walk you to the carriage," he offered.  
  
She nodded and they made their way to the wheeled vehicle. 

  
They stopped when they stood before the door of the carriage. A sad expression could be seen on Kagome's face as she turned to Inuyasha.  
  
He cupped her cheek with one clawed hand. "We will meet again...trust me..." he whispered and helped her into the carriage.  
  
Kagome's father approached the opening and smiled. "Thank you...for taking care of Kagome in the past year," he said.  
  
Inuyasha shook his head. "It was my pleasure sir." he smiled.  
  
"Until we meet again then," Kagome's father nodded as he settled himself on the couch again and knocked at the ceiling of the carriage to signal to the coachman that they were ready to leave. 

  
Shortly after that, the sound of a whip could be heard followed by the neigh of several horses.  
  
Kagome felt the carriage move and quickly turned to the window to look at Inuyasha.   
  
His mouth moved as he said something to her. Although it was inaudible, she could still see what he said by the shape and movements of his lips.   
  
_"I will find you...kanarazu..."_

  
~*~ 

  
Honestly, he wanted to run in front of the carriage and stop them from leaving when he saw it move, but he knew it wasn't going to change anything.  
  
He quickly looked at Kagome, who was leaning against the window with her hands and looking at him as well. He knew she couldn't possibly hear him if he said anything so he did his best to mouth the words to her, hoping that she would understand.  
  
His face dropped when he saw the puzzled expression on her face, but hope filled his heart once again when he saw her form some words to him with her lips. 

  
_"I will wait for you...zutto..."_

* * *

Okay!! The prolonged prologue I told you about several chapters ago ends here ^-^!! I hope it wasn't too long or too boring and I definitely hope you will continue reading this story as the real storyline is going to begin with the next chapter! Please look forward to it!!  
  
**Next chapter:** A face forgotten and a remained promise

  
~*~   
\\"Milady, you shouldn't be angry at your father."//  
  
\\"He's NOT my father, and you know that!" (...) "I know I owe him my life...I would definitely have died if he had not coincidentally traveled on the same path and happened to be there when we were being attacked..." (...) "But still!! That doesn't give him the right to decide my future!!"//  
  
\\"But Kagome, you surely don't intend to wait your whole life just because of a medicine bottle and a dream?"//  
  
\\"It's not a dream...I know it...I can feel it...it's a promise made a long time ago...by someone very dear to me...although...I can't seem to remember who..."//  
  
~*~ 

  
**Vocabulary:**  
**sankon tessou: **'Soul-Shattering Iron Claws', a claw attack used by Inuyasha  
**hijin kessou:** 'Flying Claws of Blood', another claw attack used by Inuyasha  
**teme:** a vulgar way to address a second-person (when said to a woman, it would mean something like 'bitch')  
**hontou ni gomen nasai:** I'm really/terribly sorry  
**arigatou: **thank you  
**ne: **hey  
**kanarazu: **expresses that a certain result will happen under a certain condition, in this context it would mean 'definitely'  
**zutto:** forever  
  
~*~

  
**REPLIES ON REVIEWS:**  
  
**Ks-Starshine:** Thanks!! Your feeling was right! She was really going to move away pretty soon hehehe. Oh and thanks for telling me of the grammar mistake, I've already corrected it ^-^! And thanks for telling me which part you liked!  
  
**no one special: **Hahaha, well I could have made Kagome's father think that Inuyasha was the attacker, but that would be a bit too dramatic. Thanks for reviewing!!  
  
**Kagura wind fairy:** Thank you very much!! I'm glad you liked the prolonged prologue ^-^!  
  
**Inukamisashi:** Yeah, as you already can see above (in my AN). This is the last chapter of the "prologue" I mentioned. And you are quite right with you guesses, but I can't reveal too much, hope you don't mind that ^-^. Thanks for reviewing!!  
  
**seikkyokuka: **Thanks for reviewing ^-^, and I totally understand how you feel *sigh*. But no worries! They're not going to be separated forever...OOPS! *smacks her forehead* Did I just reveal too much about my actual storyline...?  
  
**whitemiko: **Hahaha well I guess almost all of your questions has been answered hasn't they? About the marriage offer question, I didn't get the inspiration from an anime or manga, just got it from my muses ^-^!  
  
**Kyia:** Hehehe...you know me :p.   
  
**Rhexi:** I was already wondering what was keeping the readers from asking me this question ^-^. Very good to notice this, but I'm afraid I can't really explain much. All I can say is that Inuyasha is quite young and naive, and plus a little bit of 'love at first sight' and 'I don't want to see girls cry' attitude, this would be the outcome hehehe. And about the length of this story...I think it will be between the 15 and 25 chapters long, can't really say the exact number yet. And I'm glad you still like the story ^-^!  
~*~

Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~   
  
Posted: 12 February 2004  
Last Edited: 12 February 2004  
Spelling check: YES 


	8. A face forgotten and a remained promise

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline.  


** AUTHOR'S NOTE**:   
Tada!! Here's the first chapter of the actual storyline! I hope you will like it!! Some of you asked whether this story takes place in the past, well it is, this story takes place between the Sengoku Jidai and the future (more the first than the latter though). Anyway, enjoy reading this chapter!! 

By the way, I have re-edited this chapter, because I found it more appropriate to name the lord who adopted Kagome instead of referring him as 'the Lord' all the time ^-^. His name will be Takada (so it's either Lord Takada or Takada-sama).

_Italic_: thoughts   
-- --: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~*~*~*~: time gap   
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**

-by Kittymui-

  
**A face forgotten and a remained promise**

~*~*~*~

A pair of white doors flung open as a young lady entered a long white hall. Her long raven-black hair billowed in the air as she stomped towards her bedroom at the end of the hall. She slammed the door shut behind her and made her way to a pile of white pillows on the floor at the corner of the room and sat down.  
  
A scowl could be seen on her face as she fumbled the sleeves of her white yukata. Angry tears stung her eyes as she scanned her surroundings.  
  
The walls were creamy yellow of color and the floor was white. A white wooden bed just like her previous one stood against the wall from across the doors. A low creamy blue nightstand could be seen next to the bed, together with a large wardrobe. And of course, her favorite pillow spot at the corner of the room near the windows. All of this made the room look exactly like the one she had in her old house, yet none of it could make her feel safe and completely comfortable like she felt back then.  
  
Her train of nostalgic thoughts crashed when someone knocked on her bedroom door.  
  
*KNOCK KNOCK*  
  
"Who is it?" she sighed, closing her eyes.  
  
"It's me, Sango."  
  
She relaxed a little. "Come in, the door isn't locked."  
  
Sango was her personal maid and also her best friend. She was always there for her when she needed someone to talk to. Every single maid wouldn't stop calling her 'milady', but Sango was the only one who wouldn't mind calling her by her real name. And she was truly happy about that.  
  
"Milady, you shouldn't be angry at your father," the maid said as she entered the room and closed the door behind her.  
  
The raven-haired girl on the pillows turned to her and gave her an annoyed look. "He's NOT my father, and you know that!" she spat before turning away again. "And how many times do I have to remind you? Call me by my name when nobody's around...please!"

  
Sango sighed. "Well then Kagome, you shouldn't be angry at the one who saved your life...because he's only doing it for your own good," she rephrased as she walked closer to her.  
  
Kagome looked up when the maid stood still before her.   
  
If you didn't know her you would probably say she was Maya's older sister. They had the same black hair and dark brown eyes and with those standard clothes of a maid, they almost seemed two drops of water.   
But, unlike Maya, Sango always tied her long black hair into a high ponytail or let it hanging loosely behind her back, instead of a braid. Without that difference, Kagome would still be mistaking her for her previous maid. And partly because of this, she was able to get along with her so well.

"I know..." she replied with a sigh. "I know I owe him my life...I would definitely have died if he had not coincidentally traveled on the same path and happened to be there when we were being attacked..." she remembered with a sad look on her face, which was soon replaced by a scowl. ""But still!!" she continued after a moment of silence. "That doesn't give him the right to decide my future!!"  
  
The maid knelt down in front of Kagome. "But Kagome, you are already 24 years old. Most girls of your age have already started a family." she reasoned. "If it wasn't for Lord Takada's patience, you would already have been forced to marry years ago."

Kagome averted her gaze as she slowly reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small opaque bottle. "I know Sango...I know...but...that dream...that I've been having ever since I'm suffering this...memory loss..." she said as she closed her eyes. "...though only in fragments, I can still clearly remember the words he said to me..."  


_"...I'll search for you until I've found you."_

_"...I will find you...kanarazu..."_

  
Sango looked down at the porcelain bottle that she was holding. "So this is the important gift Takada-sama mentioned? The one he said that you refused to hand over to the bandits and protected while they were beating you up?"

She nodded.

"But Kagome, you surely don't intend to wait your whole life just because of a bottle and a dream?" her maid argued.

"It's not only a dream...I know it...I can feel it...it's a promise made long time ago...by someone very dear to me..." she defended as she ran the tip of her forefinger over the blue imprinted dogdemon that was howling to a crescent moon. "...although...I can't seem to remember who..."

  
A moment of silence fell upon the room until Sango suddenly stood up and decided to speak again. "All right! Enough of the nostalgias...come on!" she smiled and took Kagome's hand.

"W-where to?" Kagome asked surprised.

"Baka...have you forgotten about the Autumn Festival I told you about a couple of days ago??" her maid grinned. "If I'm not mistaking, the archery contest will be the main event again this year."

Kagome's eyes sparkled. "Hontou!??" she cried, instantly forgetting about the previous topic. "H-hold on! I'm going to get myself ready!" And with that, she hastily pried Sango's hand off of hers and ran to her wardrobe.

Sango was truly relieved to see Kagome's happy face again. It has already been 12 years since the incident. Although she herself didn't see how it all happened, she had heard it from Lord Takada when he suddenly returned with the severely injured preteen in his arms.  
The poor girl, who was not much younger than herself back then, had witnessed how her father and personal maid was slaughtered with her very own eyes. 

She remembered how long it took her and Lord Takada to convince the girl that she was safe and that she could release the porcelain bottle she had clasped so tightly in her bloodstained hands.

Ever since that day, the girl had suffered some sort of memory loss. She was able to remember her own name and the names and looks of her deceased father and maid. And she had also retained parts of how her old bedroom looked like and her old house that stood in the middle of a forest. 

Naturally, Sango would be happy for her that she didn't have to remember the horrendous tragedy that had befallen her only family. But memory loss, just like everything else, also had features to be wary of, and in this case, no exceptions were made.   
The girl was not able to remember anything that happened during her childhood; the period of her life that she had vaguely defined as 'the happiest period'. Nor could she remember the identity of the 'very dear someone' she mentioned a while ago, who should obviously had been the one who gave her the porcelain medicine bottle and made the promise she could never forget about.

Sango also remembered the day, on which Lord Takada had confirmed that the wound on her cheek had completely healed without leaving a single scar. The girl, who was already 14 by then, was so happy that day that she ran through every single hall while crying out the same sentence all over again:

_"It's gone! Inuyasha, can you hear me?? It's finally gone!!!"_

Yet afterwards, when she and Lord Takada asked her who this 'Inuyasha' was and why she was crying out to him, the teenager was unable to answer. 

She had kind of guessed that the 'Inuyasha' and the 'very dear someone' was somehow related, but never dreamed of discussing this with Kagome because she was afraid she would make her remember something that would be better stay forgotten.

Her thoughts were cut off when she heard Kagome call out her name.

"Sango? What are you daydreaming about?! We better hurry or we'll be too late to get me registered for the contest!!" Kagome said as she placed her hands on her waist.

Sango shifted her gaze to her and smiled. Her mistress and best friend was now dressed in a white haori and navy blue hakama that matched her eyes. And on her back and shoulder, a pair of brown and silver-colored archer equipment could be seen, which she had pleaded Lord Takada so many times to buy for her.

  
Kagome frowned. "Now you're daydreaming again!! Come on!!" she pouted as she grabbed her maid's hand and pulled her out of the bedroom with her.  
  
They walked through the white hall with a high pace as the maid continued to escape from her mistress' tight grip. "Wait milady!! I haven't changed my clothes yet!! Wait!!!" 

But Kagome wouldn't listen and Sango's loud objection echoed through the long halls of the mansion.

* * *

I hope you liked this chapter. Please leave a review behind to tell me what you think okay? And do look forward to the next chapter!!  
**Next chapter: **The Autumn Festival

~*~  
\\"For God's sake Inuyasha!! You are 26 already!! We have already moved 8 times because of that promise you made to that girl!! Whether you want or not, we are going to stay here in this city and that's FINAL!!"//

\\"Why are you so worked up about some childhood promise anyway?! The girl probably already forgot about you and married someone else."//

\\"She won't." he growled and walked out of the room.//

\\"Hey Inuyasha!! I was already looking for you!!"//

\\He turned to the voice and sighed slightly annoyed. "What do you want Miroku??"//

\\"It's the Autumn Festival today."//

\\"So?"//  
~*~

**Vocabulary:**  
**kanarazu: **expresses that a certain result will happen under a certain condition, in this context it would mean 'definitely'  
**baka:** (you) stupid/silly  
**hontou:** really  
  
~*~

  
**REPLIES ON REVIEWS:**

**Murasaki Rizu**, **Gavroche Rules**, **brazilian gata**, **Kyia**, **Kagome200315**, **Kaiyouu**, **Nika**, **no one special:** Thank you all very much!!! Your reviews and compliments are very encouraging!! I'm glad you like it!!

**whitemiko: **Thanks for reviewing!! I'm glad you liked it and to know that the teasers are appreciated ^-^!

**Ks-Starshine: **Thanks!! I'm happy to know that it was your favorite chapter. I had fun writing it myself ^-^!

**KaGs&YaSHa:** Thanks! And nice guess hehehe.

**Mandu-chan: **I'll try to update as soon as possible! Thanks for reviewing and telling me that you liked the story!

**seikkyokuka:** Wow! Thanks!! *takes Miroku plushie*. Hmm I kind of remember receiving a plushie before...but I can't seem to remember what kind of plushie ^-^. 

**anime-babe21: **I'll update as soon as possible, don't worry ^-^! And I've answered your question at the beginning of this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

**siyuri: **Hahaha don't worry, I don't expect readers to review every single chapter I post. Thanks for reading my story and I'm glad you like it!

**Inukamisashi: **I'm doing my best ^-^!

**Rhexi:** Hmm, despite that I'm not going to change my plot...I do hope it won't be the same as all the other stories one of your viewers mentioned ^-^. But thanks for telling me. 

~*~

Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~   
  
Posted: 15 February 2004  
Last Edited: 19 February 2004 (see author's notes for the changes made)  
Spelling check: YES


	9. The Autumn Festival

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**:  
Just a little information in case you don't understand how this plot is going so far. Kagome, who was traveling with her father and maid to their new home, came across bandits on the road and were attacked. Kagome's father and Maya got killed in the process and just when Kagome was about to be beaten to death, a Lord, named Takada, coincidentally arrived at the scene (with carriage and guards) and rescued her. He brought the girl back to his mansion and eventually adopted her as his own daughter, since he didn't have any children of himself. Now, Kagome is living a pretty normal life in the city called Shiho and all is well, except for the fact that she's convinced that she should be waiting for someone, though not being able to remember who. Which Lord Takada isn't quite happy with, since he truly wanted her to have a husband and start a family. And that's where the quarrel between Kagome and Lord Takada (see previous chapter) fit in.

This chapter is going to start with our perspective on the one who had desperately tried to find our female main character for the past 12 years. Enjoy reading!!!

_Italic_: thoughts or emphasized words  
-- --: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~*~*~*~: time gap or change of perspective  
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**

-by Kittymui-

  
**The Autumn Festival**

  
"You can't do this!!!" A loud growl echoed through the entire mansion.

"Yes I can, because I am your father and the Lord of this mansion," a calm and low voice replied, as the speaker sat down behind his huge desk.

He stomped on the red carpet as his eyes flamed with anger. "But I promised her!! I can't just__"

"For God's sake Inuyasha!!" the Taiyoukai cut him off. "You are 26 already!! We have already moved 8 times because of that promise you made to that girl!! So whether you want or not, we are going to stay here in this city and that's FINAL!!"

He clenched his fists of anger. "How am I supposed to find her now?!" he cried.

"I do not care! You can leave the household and go on a journey if you like. Just don't expect me to help you anymore. Your brother is tired of the changing environment and I am tired of having to move every 18 months. It's time to settle down Inuyasha."

"Fine!" he let out a growl before turning his back to his father.

"Why are you so worked up about some childhood promise anyway," the Taiyoukai sighed. "The girl probably already forgot about you and married someone else."

He paused and looked over his shoulder to his father. "She won't!" he growled and walked out of the room. 

~*~

Inuyasha, fuming about the quarrel with his father, was just about to enter his bedroom until he was halted by a familiar voice. 

"Hey Inuyasha!! I was already looking for you!!"

He turned to the voice and sighed slightly annoyed. "What do you want Miroku??"

Miroku was a classmate and friend of his. When he just moved here about a month ago, his father made him attend some sort of school and that's how they got to know each other. He had short black hair and dark gray eyes, and he was a couple of months older than himself.

A small scowl formed on his face, slightly taken aback by Inuyasha's tone. "Geez, what's eating you today??"

Inuyasha sighed and started explaining the whole happening and told him about the quarrel with his father a moment ago.

"Ah, no wonder you're still pissed," Miroku nodded understandingly until a question popped up in his mind and turned to his friend. "Is the girl you mentioned really THAT special that you don't mind spending your whole life searching for her?"

Inuyasha smirked. "Know this Miroku. If I had never met her, you wouldn't have possibly been able to approach me without any dislocated limbs, let alone being accepted as a friend."

Miroku grinned. "Wow, then that girl must have had a great influence on you."

"Yeah," he agreed. "She had."

As his anger subsided, Inuyasha finally realized that his friend was wearing some strange black robe. "Why the hell are you dressed like a monk??" he asked dumbfounded. 

"Oh right! That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Miroku remembered. "It's the Autumn Festival today."

"So?" Inuyasha responded uninterestingly.

"So...I wanted to ask if you could accompany me."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes as he remembered his friend's lecherous trait, which he always blamed his ancestors being responsible for it.

Miroku's eyes grew wide as he knew what his youkai friend was thinking about. "No no, it's nothing like that!!" he quickly defended, waving his hands. "I mean...you are quite new here and I'm sure you've never attended a festival before so I wanted to show you what the famous Autumn Festival of this city of Shiho is like."

"And hearing about your quarrel with your father, I guess you'll be staying here for a _long_ time," he continued, emphasizing the 'long' word. "We hardly have any festivals here in Shiho and this one's only held once a year so it's really an opportunity for us to get acquainted with Shiho's culture."

Inuyasha mentally rolled his eyes, doubting his friend's definition of the concept 'culture'.

"Awww come on!! It'll be fun!! There will be a lot of people and stalls selling all kinds of trinkets!!" Miroku pleaded as he pulled the hanyou's sleeve.

Inuyasha thought for a moment. "Oh well, I guess some fresh air would do me good," he finally gave in.

"All right!!" Miroku clapped his hands together as he scanned his friend from head to toe. "But before that, don't you want to change into something more appropriate? It IS a festival you know?"

The hanyou shook his head. "Nope! This will do just fine!" he said as he smoothed out his red outfit and patted the katana-like sword that hung around his waist.

"If you say so," his friend grinned. "Let's go then!"

And the two of them walked down the hall and stairs to the exit of the building.

~*~

The Autumn Festival was held at the City Square at the center of Shiho and it was indeed very crowded. Every single street and alley was filled with stalls and merchants trying to sell their cultural objects. But the most eye-catching of all was the big area reserved for the main event of this year: the archery contest. 

Next to the area stood a small stall with a wooden display board above it saying "Registration participants". And since the period of the registration had started several hours ago, no queue could be seen in front of the stall.

From afar, two girls could be seen running towards the stall mentioned before. 

"Come on Sango!!" Kagome cried as she quickened her pace towards the counter.

"Hai hai..." Sango panted, running several meters behind her. The maid was now wearing a white yukata with red flowers instead of her black dress and white apron.

Just when she had almost reached Kagome, she already saw her turn around to her.

"Done!" Kagome smiled as she walked away from the stall with a piece of paper in her hand.

"That was fast..." Sango puffed. "What name have you used this time?" she asked, knowing that the Lord only allowed his daughter to participate under the condition that she won't use her real name.

"Maya, as usual," she replied. "Just because I can't use my real name, doesn't mean I don't want people to remember me."

Her maid smiled understandingly. "And? When are you up?" she asked.

Kagome looked at the piece of paper in her hand. "Let's see...wow...there are quite a lot of participants this year..." she said, scanning the list of names written on it. "It should be my turn soon."

Sango smirked. "Maybe someone would bode a challenge to you this time."

"We shall see about that. Let's go!" she responded with a grin and started walking in the direction of the entrance to the contest area.

The contest area was a long triangular shaped field in the open with a low tribune built around it for the audience. In the long field, four white lines were could be seen, dividing 5 contest lanes of equal widths. Each lane had one wooden target board standing at the far end, while at the other end a white circle could be seen on the floor, indicating the position of the participants. The targets were just simple flat, circular boards on a wooden support with a red dot drawn at the center and alternately black and white rings around the dot.

Kagome smiled confidently as she made her way to the first row of seats, which was especially reserved for the participants only, and sat down. Since the tribune was already filled with lots of spectators, it was fortunate for Sango to be able to find an unoccupied spot on the second row not too far away from her mistress.

  
Not long after that, a person appeared in the contest-area, causing all the chatter of the audience to die down.

It was an old woman dressed in a white haori and red hakama, almost similar to the one Kagome was wearing, only in a red version. She had long grey hair tied in a low ponytail and an eye-patch could be seen, covering one of her wrinkled eyes.

"Ahum," she cleared her throat. "Ladies and gentlemen. First I would like to thank you all for coming to this fourth Autumn Archery Contest. Let me introduce myself. I am Kaede and I will be the hostess and the only judge of this competition.

Kagome grinned when she heard numerous gasps coming from the audience. She remembered herself giving the same reaction when she participated for the first time. After that contest she definitely knew better than to underestimate the quality of a judge just by him or her appearance and age. Although she had won back then, it was not without comments made by the judge. And ever since that day, during every interval between the contests, she would do her best to train and improve herself until no comments were made.

_I wonder if she will give me comments again this year._ she thought inwardly. Her thoughts were cut off when she heard her name. 

"Will Maya please take her place on lane three?" the old woman announced clearly.

Kagome stood up and stole a glance back at Sango, who was smiling confidently at her, before walking towards her appointed spot in the middle.

After announcing 2 more contestants, the old woman walked to her seat on the patio-like area behind the contestants and sat down. 

  
"Archers, prepare your arrows," she spoke clearly, after making sure that all 5 contestants have reached their appointed positions.

Kagome took a deep breath and pulled an arrow out of the quiver on her back. She slowly put it on her bow and lowered the arrowhead towards the floor.

"Draw your bows."

She lifted her arms and bent her bow by drawing the string with all her might towards herself. _Take a deep breath and focus...concentration will do the rest..._ she recited in her mind as she closed her eyes and calmed her hands that were shaking of the immense exertion she was putting on them by drawing her bow.

"Discharge arrows!"

Kagome's eyes shot open, with her pupils immediately adjusting to her target, which stood more than 100 meters away, and concentrating on the red dot. And together with all the other contestants, she discharged her arrow and let it fly swiftly through the air to its target.

*FFWWWWIIIISSHHHH*

Followed by the sound of five iron arrowheads synchronously hitting its wooden targets.

*TSJOKK*

A moment of silence took place, which was immediately broken by a wave of loud cheering coming from the tribune.

Although Kagome knew she had passed the first round as she saw her arrow flawlessly hit the red dot, she dared not to smile and claim her victory until the judge said so.

The cheering soon died down again when Kaede stood up and held up her hand. "The contestants of lane one, two...and four may take their seats on the tribune again."

Kagome let out a sight of relief and a smile appeared on her face as she glanced at Sango on the tribune, who was waving and mouthing the word "Ganbatte!" to her.

~*~

"You are truly unbelievable," Miroku pouted as he walked back and forth on a roof near the festival area.

"Keh! You know me longer than today," the hanyou spat as he laid down on the roof and settled the back of his head comfortably on top of his folded arms.

"I asked you to accompany me through the festival area and you just pull me up to a roof to take a nap?!?" hs friend argued, stopping near the edge.

"Well, now you can watch it from a higher perspective so you should be grateful!!" Inuyasha argued back.

  
Miroku opened his mouth to respond but became silent when his eyes traveled to the streets below. "Hmm, now that you mention it, the view from above is indeed magnificent," he grinned as his eyes caught a group of girls standing near a stall below. "...truly magnificent." he repeated with a content sigh.

Inuyasha sighed. "You just never learn do you?"

"Can't help it...it's in the genes..." his friend explained without taking his eyes off of the pretty creatures below.

"Yeah right," Inuyasha muttered and closed his eyes to take a nap.

In his mind, an image of his childhood friend appeared. _Kagome..._he sighed inwardly._...where could she be...I wonder how she looks like now..._His lips curled into a small grin. _I bet she still has that scar...not that I really care about that..._

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Miroku's loud voice. "WOW! LOOK AT THAT!!"

"What?" Inuyasha growled, annoyed that his friend had cut off his thoughts. 

"A contest!!!! Oh man...look at those lovely archers!!" he cried enthusiastically. 

"So what?! Do you mind!? I'm trying to take a nap here!!" he snapped and turned to his side with his back facing Miroku.

"Suit yourself then. I'm going to take a closer look, see ya!" Miroku chuckled and leaped to another roof into the direction of the contest.

  
"Keh!" Inuyasha spat out loud, closing his eyes again. _What's so interesting about a stupid contest!?_ he thought annoyed. _And what's so lovely about those stupid...a...archers...?_ Realization struck him when he thought about the last word.

Suddenly an old conversation popped up inside his head.  


_"It took me a long time to convince my father but it was worth it, don't you agree?"_

_"Keh! Can you actually use them?"_

_"Well...no...but I can learn!"_

_"Aren't you a bit young to learn how to use weapons?"_

_"Euhm...no? I mean...I'm twelve...but the earlier, the easier, right? I'm sure I'll be able to master archery in no time!!"_

  
His thoughts were cut off when the sound of arrows flying through the air and hitting wood caught his sensitive ears.

He quickly sat up and looked at his sword that he carried around his waist. _Archery...bows and arrows...maybe..._ he thought and immediately got to his feet. He scanned the environment until he found the contest area his friend was talking about a moment ago.

Without second thought, he started leaping over several roofs, following the sound of people cheering, until he got a perfect bird-view of the field and the contestants.

His eyes slowly traveled from one archer to another and stopped when he saw the one on the third lane.

Her long raven-black hair danced in the calm breezes together with her white haori and navy hakama, as she prepared another arrow and drew the string with her eyes closed.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes as he waited for her to open them again.

"Discharge arrow!!" he heard the old judge speak with a loud and clear voice.

It was then that the raven-haired archer opened her eyes and aimed at her target before discharging her arrow.

*FFFWWIIISSHHH....TSSJOK*

For a moment, Inuyasha felt as though the arrow had hit his heart instead of the wooden target below as his heart had skipped a beat the moment he saw the navy blue eyes of the archer.

The image of the twelve-year-old Kagome appeared in his mind as he kept his eyes locked on the female contestant. With the combination of the hair- and eyecolor, the archer really reminded him of his long lost childhood (girl)friend. Other than these two features, they were probably two totally different individuals, since the one in his memory was twelve years younger. But there were still two other features that could prove her identity as his childhood friend: the scar on her left cheek and her name.

_I guess I'll just have to wait until the contest ends huh?_ he concluded, realizing that he was watching it from an unhandy perspective. [AN: Meaning that he's standing on the wrong side of the area. He's watching the archers from their right side, so the left cheek of that one archer is out of sight for him.]

He could have just jumped his way around the field to find out about the scar but instead of doing that, he sat down on the roof and watched how the young woman gracefully discharged her arrows and beat her opponents one by one.

There was indeed something about her style of archery that appealed to him. It was almost some kind of admiration. To put it bluntly, you could say that he fell in love with her way of archery. He was really curious about what she would be thinking every time she closed her eyes and waited for the signal to discharge her arrow.  
Amazed by her skill and how she managed to remain in the competition, he couldn't help but remember how determined the young Kagome was when she said she would master archery in no time.

He finally snapped out of his thoughts when a loud cheering echoed through the City Square. His gaze shifted back to the field again, only to find out that it was empty and that the audience was already starting to leave the tribune. _Darn!_ he cursed inwardly and desperately started to search for the one that caught his attention before.

He raised an eyebrow when the crowd suddenly stepped aside near the entrance of the contest area and opened a path for two individuals. As he looked closer, he realized that one of them was actually the contestant of before. Apparently she had won the contest, since there were no other reasons for the crowd to open a path for her.

A part of him was really glad that he had found her again, but the other part was truly disappointed when he saw the smooth skin of her left cheek as she talked to her female companion. But he refused to give up, because he believed the possibility that the wound could have healed during those twelve long years. So, he continued his pursuit after the last evidence: her name.

With that decided, he jumped off the roof and landed on the floor at a distance from the two girls. He carefully followed them through the festival area and picked up every single word of their conversations.

  
~*~

  
After pursuing them for about an hour, they had almost reached the border of the city. But until now, Inuyasha was only able to find out that the female companion with the high ponytail was called Sango. As for the one he was interested in, he wasn't able to find out anything useful since her companion didn't call her by her name.

_Doesn't she have a name or something!? Why is she always calling her 'milady'!??_ he growled impatiently in his mind.

He snapped out of it when the two took a turn and disappeared around a corner. But when he was just about to continue his chase, a familiar scent caught his nose. He scanned his surroundings and widened his eyes when he saw his lecherous friend coming from behind a big wooden display-board in front of him and started heading towards the corner where the archer and her companion had taken a turn. 

Inuyasha made a small leap in the air and landed in front of his black-haired friend with a wary look on his face.

Miroku abruptly stopped walking and clutched his heart with a shocked look on his face. "O-oh Inuyasha! It's you...you scared me!!"

"What the hell were you doing?" he demanded.

"Oh that! Haha, well...the girl's pretty... and I thought I could find out more about her...so I decided to follow__" he explained awkwardly but halted when he received a pair of narrowed eyes. "H-Hey! I wasn't planning on doing something inappropriate to them...honest!" he quickly added.

The hanyou raised one eyebrow as he only believed half of his friend's words but his attention was soon drawn as he picked up a faint shriek, which sounded like 'Leave us alone!!', and realized it had come from the direction where the two girls had long gone.

"What's wrong?" Miroku asked, having noticed the sudden change in expressions on his friend's face. But before he received a proper answer, the hanyou had already jumped onto a nearby roof. "Get some help!" he heard him shout to him before he leaped to another roof and disappearing out of sight. "Gotcha!" Miroku acknowledged and started running into the opposite direction. 

_There's no mistaking it, it must be the girl of before._ Inuyasha thought as he jumped from roof to roof.

_There she is!_ And he stopped leaping as he saw the girl in a small clearing near the border of the city. A scowl appeared on his face as he realized what caused the girl to shriek.

~*~

"What do you want Naraku?!" Sango snarled as she stood protectively before her mistress.

They were both on their way back home when they suddenly encountered Naraku and his creepy gang. Naraku was the son of a very rich lord, and because of that, he was a spoiled and a hateful person by how he treated other people. Ever since he laid his eyes upon Kagome, he had never ceased asking for her hand in marriage. And fortunately, her father kept refusing the offer until now.

"How rude," he chuckled as he flung back his long wavy black hair behind his shoulder. "Who do you actually think you are talking to..._maid_." he emphasized her identity.

He was dressed in a black hakama and haori with an expensive gold-colored sash around his waist. His depthless crimson eyes traveled from the maid to the dark blue ones behind her. "I just came to see my soon-to-be wife."

Kagome widened her eyes. "H-how dare you...I will never marry someone like you!" she snapped.

She and Sango took a step backwards as Naraku took a step closer. "I don't think that's something for you to decide, my sweet...Kagome," he smirked, licking his lips as he whispered out her name at the end. "Didn't your father tell you about the contest? He officially announced it to be held over three days. Everybody knows about it."

Kagome averted her gaze as she knew it was the truth what Naraku said about the contest.

Sango noticed this and shot a glare with disdain at Naraku. "Don't be so full of yourself bastard. What makes you think you will win?" she spat angrily. 

The grin on Naraku's face dropped and he stepped forward until he was within arm-reach with Sango, but she didn't back away. Suddenly, without warning he slapped her very hard with the back of his hand and caused her to stumble aside to the floor. "Don't you dare talk to me as if you're an equal, bitch! You're just a MAID!!" he growled furiously.

Kagome gasped and prepared to run to her seemingly unconscious friend, only to be stopped by Naraku as he raised his arm and blocked her. "Leave us alone!!!" she cried out as she pushed him aside and knelt down beside Sango. "Sango! Are you okay? Sango!!" she cried out her name as she slightly shook her friend's shoulder. 

When she suddenly saw several shadows looming over her own she lifted her gaze, only to find herself being surrounded by Naraku and his obedient followers. Before she could say or do anything, Naraku shot out his hand and grabbed her wrist.

"Hanashite!!" she cried as she tried to pry off his hand.

He ignored her feeble struggling and pulled her forcefully up to him, causing her to wince. "We'll get married sooner or later, so why don't you let me have a taste of you beforehand?" he grinned as he pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her there.

"Hanashi___"

Before she could finish, a loud growl cut her off from a distance.

"LET HER GO!!"

All their gazes shifted to be the one who spoke on a nearby roof. His long silvery white hair floated temporarily above him as he jumped into the air and landed before them. 

Naraku scowled. "Nosy aren't we? I suggest you stay out of this if you treasure your life," he warned, tightening his grip around Kagome's waist.

But Inuyasha didn't move an inch. "Sorry to bust your bubble but I am not going anywhere," he spat as he flexed his claws, narrowing his eyes when they saw Naraku's arms around the girl's waist.

Naraku's eyebrow twitched for a second before he eyed his men. "Get him." Naraku ordered and turned back to Inuyasha. "Then let's see how are you going to handle this."

And Naraku's men began to gather themselves between their boss and the hanyou, crackling their knuckles.

"Bring it on," Inuyasha grinned as he jumped into a fighting stance.

And the fight started as the men charged at him with their bare fists.

  
~*~

  
_Who is he...?_ Kagome thought as she stared at the battle scene before her. Her eyes were locked on the silver-haired one, who easily dodged the attacks launched at him. _Why is he helping me...?_

The battle ended as Inuyasha punched his last conscious opponent in the stomach and sent him flying to the dirt next to Naraku and Kagome. He straightened his red clothes and turned to them. "I'd say I've handled it pretty well, don't you agree?" he grinned as he started walking their way.

Kagome shifted her gaze from the hanyou to Naraku and realized that he was starting to tremble and sweat drops were starting to appear on his forehead. She heard him utter a 'Kuso!'. And the next thing she knew was being pushed forward rather roughly and that she had started to topple forward to the floor.

But instead of hitting the earth, she bumped onto a firm chest instead. And when she looked up, she found herself looking into the most beautiful pair of eyes she had ever seen. The same pair of eyes was gazing back at hers as well. "Are you okay?" his low voice asked.

Suddenly Kagome realized the close proximity between them and quickly pushed herself away with a blush creeping up her cheeks. "W-where's Naraku?" she stammered.

"He fled, don't worry," the hanyou reassured her.

Kagome sighed in relief. "Arigatou...for helping me," she smiled and bowed gratefully.

Inuyasha returned a smile. "You're welcome."

And they just stood there, silently looking at each other until Kagome decided to speak again. "Ano...may I know your n__" she asked, wanting to know the name of her savior, but was cut off by the sound of approaching footsteps and voices.

Inuyasha's ears twitched as he realized what people were approaching and turned to the archer. "I should be going now, I'll get in trouble if I'm caught by those guys," he said before turning around and jumping onto a nearby roof.

Kagome raised her hand and wanted to halt him but stopped when the inu-youkai turned to look at her again and flashed her the most heartwarming smile she had ever seen. "I'll see you around!" she heard him say before he turned his back to her again and leaped away.

Although the hanyou was long gone, she kept staring at the roof where he stood a moment ago, endlessly pondering about who he might be.

"Miss? Miss, are you all right?" a male's voice sounded from beside her.

Kagome finally snapped out of it and turned to the voice, only to realize that a couple of guards had arrived at the small clearing and that one of them was standing right beside her with a worried look on his face. 

The city-guards of Shiho could easily be recognized by their white haori's with black edges and their gray pleated hakama's. And there was always a white sash tied around their foreheads, with the two long ends hanging loosely from the knot on the back of their heads.

"I-I'm okay..." she replied with a small nod.

Then a guard suddenly approached them. "Sir! There's an injured female lying on the floor," he reported.

Kagome widened his eyes as she remembered her friend who got smacked unconscious by the arrogant bastard. "Sango!"

~*~

Inuyasha jumped from roof to roof and stopped when he believed to be far away enough from the clearing. _Pfew...that was close..._ he thought relieved. Although he had done nothing wrong, his father would probably start nagging concerns and doubts again if he knew his son got involved in a street-fight.

But then he realized something and groaned as he smacked himself on the forehead. _Damn!! _ he cursed inwardly. _I forgot to ask her name!!_

* * *

Liked it? Thanks for reading it! Please leave a small review behind, because they mean a lot to me! They're like a source of energy for me to continue this story (not that I'm going to stop writing, because I always finish what I've started) so please! Anyway, just wanted to say that in a week, I'll be having some tests and deadlines so there will be a little delay in my pace of updating the story. But do look forward to the next chapter ne?

**Next chapter: **The battle for the bride

~*~  
\\"You're absolutely worth fighting for Kagome. If only I was a male myself," she joked.//

\\She had to admit that her friend was right. Yet the prettier she found herself to be, the more frightened she became for the fact that her future husband would be chosen amongst those who are willing to fight for her hand in marriage.//

\\"I am Naraku and I'm definitely going to win this battle, so why don't we just stop this stupid contest since it will only be a waste of time?"//

\\Although she seemed composed on the outside; on the inside she desperately prayed for someone to arrive who could defeat him. And she did not care who it was, for she could not imagine anyone worse than Naraku himself.//  
~*~

**Vocabulary:**

**Taiyoukai: **huge/large demon  
**youkai:** demon  
**hanyou:** halfdemon  
**hai:** yes  
**ganbatte!:** normally means 'go for it!' (in this context it would be something like "good luck!")  
**hanashite!**: let me go!  
**kuso: **shit  
**ano:** euhm  
**inu-youkai:** dogdemon

~*~

**REPLIES ON REVIEWS:**

**=)**, **Roru-chan:** Thanks!!

**Kagome200315: **Hehehe you missed it. Remember the part when Kagome told Inuyasha (twelve years ago) that her mother died giving birth to her ^-^? And I hope I've cleared enough things about Inuyasha and Kagome being in the same city (by coincidence :p)

**Murasaki Rizu: **Hahaha, well I don't want to rush their reunion because then the fun would be over soon, don't you think? So I guess you'll just have to wait hehehe ^-^. Thanks for loving the story so far!

**whitemiko:** Hahaha yeah I heard you. As you can see, they have met ^-^, happy? But Kagome isn't going to remember him any time soon and there will be some obstacles *grins*.

**siyuri: **Thanks! But those aren't really summaries, those are more teasers to make readers curious about what would happen next. I sure hope it worked ^-^ hehehe. Have any questions? Just ask me and I'll answer them ^-^!

**Ks-Starshine: **Thank you very much (again)!! I just love romance myself so it's impossible for me to not use romance in a story hehehe.

**Akai Kiniro: **Kagome is suffering a partial memory because of the tragedy that had taken place before her very eyes. Hope that clears up a bit! Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you like the story so far!

**michelle: **I've added you to my mailinglist (as you might have already noticed hehehe). Thanks for liking my story, and you know what? I like happy endings too ^-^!

**aznchicki:** I hope you are satisfied with this chapter ^-^.

**sky77:** Hahaha it's okay. I'm only updating this fast right now, in a week I'll be having some tests and deadlines again so there will be a slight delay. Hey and you're not the only one suffering that "giggling at the screen" thingy ^o^, 'cause I do the same too hehehe. Thanks for telling me what you think about the prologue and story!

**DarkAznMiko: **Hahaha well she isn't going to remember him any time soon, that I can tell you ^-^. So I hope your heart is still whole by the time she does hehe.

**Inukamisashi:** Hahahaha you sound really evil when you're saying that you know that? Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**Kagura wind fairy: **Thanks! I'll try to update as soon as possible!

**InuYasha's wife#2: **Thanks! But I'll have to warn you first that I'm not always updating that frequently since school is getting busy from time to time ^-^, please bear with that.

~*~

Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~ 

Posted: 19 February 2004  
Last Edited: 19 February 2004  
Spelling check: YES


	10. The battle for the bride

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**:  
Thanks for waiting readers!! Please enjoy this latest chapter!!

_Italic_: thoughts or emphasized words  
-- --: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~*~*~*~: time gap or change of perspective  
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**

-by Kittymui-

  
**The battle for the bride**

Kagome stared out of her window as she shifted herself comfortable on top of a couple of pillows in her favorite corner. She let out a deep sigh, but it was not one of relief. Today was the big day...yes...the day that will decide the one she will spend the rest of her life with.

  
*KNOCK KNOCK*

  
"Come in."

The door opened, revealing a rather cheerful Sango. "Hiya soon-to-be-bride!" she greeted with a wave of her hand.

Kagome rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Not you too...." she groaned.

"Just kidding," the maid responded, closing the door behind her. She walked closer to her mistress in the corner and knelt down. "I know you're not happy with it, but the Lord's__"

"I know Sango...I know..." Kagome cut her off and slowly got to her feet. 

Sango frowned. "Still bothered about the imaginary promise?" she asked, trying to analyze the blanc expression on Kagome's face. But then her lips curled up into an evil grin. "Or are you maybe thinking about your hero in red?"

This time, her mistress looked up and shot her a startled look. "What the...of course not!!" she cried as she succeeded in suppressing the upcoming blush.

And then the room fell silent again.

"It's just..." she broke the silence. "...too sudden...I guess..."

Sango put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I understand," she smiled. "But Lord Takada is waiting...shall I begin with getting you prepared?"

Kagome nodded and started to undress herself.

  
~*~*~

  
Kagome was standing in front of her long mirror near the wardrobe. She had her eyes closed as Sango dressed her and applied cosmetics on her face.

Although her face was still emotionless after she had opened her eyes, inside she almost gasped as she barely recognized her own reflection.

She was now wearing a burgundy yukata made of silk, with a graceful phoenix, which was made of golden threads and colorful crystal beads, embroidered on it. Its head could be seen near her shoulder, with its wings on each side of her waist and its claws and its colorful tail curled near her legs.  
Her raven-black hair was tied up into a small knot on the back of her head with small pink flowers as decoration around it and curly tresses could be seen hanging loosely below it. Her lips and cheeks were given almost the same color as the flowers in her hair as two small thin red line graced her eyelids.

"There! All done!" Sango said with a content smile as she took several steps away from her mistress. "You're absolutely worth fighting for Kagome. If only I was a male myself," she joked.

Kagome blushed. "Thank you."

She had to admit that her friend was right. Yet the prettier she found herself to be, the more frightened she became for the fact that her future husband would be chosen amongst those who are willing to fight for her hand in marriage. With the beauty she possessed at the moment, she was really capable of attracting even male youkai to enter the battle. 

Not that she held a grudge against them, since humans were capable of evil deeds as well (like Naraku). But as far as she knew, there wasn't a single nice youkai in Shiho...except for... A faint blush colored her already rosy cheek as the image of the silver-haired youkai appeared in her mind. _Yes...except for him..._

  
Then a polite knock on her door abruptly pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Come in."

"Kagome? It's time," a low male voice spoke as the speaker entered the bedroom.

It was a tall middle-aged man dressed in a rich fresh green haori and hakama. His long gray hair was tied into a low thin braid and his dark green eyes sparkled the moment he laid his eyes on his dear (adopted) daughter. "You're very beautiful," he smiled as he walked over to her.

"Thank you, father," she returned a small smile.

"Everybody is waiting. Shall we?" he asked, offering his daughter his arm.

Kagome nodded and accepted his arm. And with Sango right behind them, they made their way to the courtyard of the mansion; where the big event would take place.

~*~

"Wait here," her father ordered before opening the door to the courtyard.

She nodded and watched him exit the mansion and walk up a couple of wooden steps to the wooden platform that had been set for this day.

She listened how Lord Takada greeted the crowd and clearly announced how the contest was to be held. It was going to be a one-on-one battle with each winner being challenged until there are no more challengers left. Then that one champion would become his son-in-law.

Then she heard him call her name and she took a deep breath. _Here I go..._ she thought nervously as she took out a thin red veil and put it over her head (covering her entire face). She became a bit relaxed when her maid took her hand in hers and squeezed it a little. "I'll be right behind you," she heard her whisper in her ear.

Without further thoughts, Kagome exited the mansion and mounted the platform. 

No keen hearing was needed to know that everybody below the stage was surprised by her appearance since the sound of numerous gasps filled the air.

Although the veil seemed opaque through the eyes of the audience, Kagome could clearly see her surroundings through it. Her jaw almost dropped at the sight before her.

The height of the platform almost reached above the heads of the standing crowd, which allowed her to get a good view of the whole area. In front of the platform stood a large and tall construction made of wooden poles and several small flat areas. Left and right of the construction were filled with people from the audience and participants. At the center of the construction, a large pillar could be seen, sticking out above all the other parts and being the top. And to the top of the same pillar was a small bouquet of blue flowers attached. 

The one who is able to send all his opponents to the ground and reach the bouquet before he gets challenged again will be the winner.

[AN: You can compare it with those wooden constructions that you often see on playgrounds for kids, but this one's much bigger and built for a lot of jumping and battling.]   


"Dear?" 

Kagome snapped out of it and turned to her father, only to realize that he had already taken his seat at the center of the platform.

"Come sit here," he said, pointing at the smaller chair next to his large one.

She nodded and walked over to her appointed seat.

Lord Takada cleared his throat after his daughter had settled down with her maid standing right next to her. "Will the first two participants, claiming to be worthy of my daughter's hand in marriage, stand on the battle stage please?"

Two individuals immediately jumped out of the crowd left and right and landed softly next to each other on a flat area of the construction. After they announced their identity, they jumped away from each other to create a standard pre-battle distance between them.

"Let the battle begin!" Lord Takada announced with a clear voice.

And the battle begun, with the two charging towards each other and trying to sent each other flying to the floor.

  
Kagome's expression remained emotionless as she watched the participants come and go after they got kicked off of the stage or admitted defeat. Her eyes drifted to the audience on the left and then on the right of the stage. _I wonder if he is here..._ she thought to herself as she nervously scanned the crowds and searched for a pair of golden eyes and silvery white hair. 

Her face dropped, being unable to find what she was looking for. _Who am I kidding...he's probably already forgotten about me..._ she smacked herself mentally. _ ...But then again...how could he forget about me if he doesn't even know me?_ she reasoned as she propped her head on her palm. _And I'm pretty sure someone like him wouldn't even bother to watch some stupid contest such as this one...let alone participate._

Her train of thoughts crashed when she heard an awfully familiar voice.

"I am Naraku and I'm definitely going to win this battle, so why don't we just stop this stupid contest since it will only be a waste of time?" the black-haired man smirked confidently after he landed softly on the flat area of the battle construction. He was wearing a white haori and hakama, which had a similar embellishment as Kagome's yukata, but his was a black dragon instead of a golden phoenix. He instantly received numerous 'whoo's' from the left and right after he said that.

Lord Takada frowned. "Rules are rules Naraku, and you know that," he responded sternly.

Naraku grinned. "Very well then. Just don't say that I didn't warn you."

Kagome clenched her fists and her body tensed when his eyes drifted to gaze at her. Although it was impossible for him to see her face because of the veil, but his eyes looked as though they could look right through it since he was staring right into her eyes. Although she seemed composed on the outside; on the inside she desperately prayed for someone to arrive who could defeat him. And she did not care who it was, for she could not imagine anyone worse than Naraku himself.

  
~*~

  
Inuyasha sat lazily on his comfortable chair in front of his desk in his bedroom and stared out of his window. _God, I'm soooo bored..._ he sighed inwardly. His eyes drifted reluctantly to the pile of papers on his desk and he immediately jerked his gaze away and tried to think of something less boring.

Suddenly he remembered the female archer he had saved three days ago and couldn't help but wonder about her name and where she came from. _I wonder if she's Kagome..._ he pondered.

_Don't be fooling yourself. _ the little voice in his head spoke. _You haven't been able to find her or get information regarding her for the past 12 years and now she suddenly appears right beneath your nose?_

Inuyasha frowned. _Great...just when I thought there was a tiny bit of hope, you just had to come out and spoil it don't you?!_

_I'm just being realistic._ his conscience defended.

_Well can you for once NOT be??_ he growled mentally. _ I mean...she really reminds me of her and for the past 12 years, I haven't seen anyone with the exact same combination of hair and eye-color like her._

_If it's really her, then why didn't she recognize you when you saved her that day?_

_I don't know...12 years is pretty long so___

_ Yeah right! I don't think you can find another inu-hanyou with silver hair and golden eyes like yourself._ the voice cut him off.

_Then maybe she bumped her head and lost her memory or something..._ Inuyasha hypothesized.

_Really..._ it responded sarcastically.

Inuyasha groaned. _Fine! Then don't believe it! But I won't rest until I've found out her identity, now shut up and leave me be!_

  
*KNOCK KNOCK*

  
"What!?" he snarled at the door, instantly regretting his tone since he shouldn't be directing his inner frustrations at anyone else. "Come in," he corrected, a lot calmer than before.

The door opened and revealed Miroku, who was now wearing a normal gray haori and hakama instead of a monk's robe.

"Oh it's you," Inuyasha said, turning to the window again.

Miroku frowned. "What? Not happy to see me?" he asked with a slightly disappointed tone.

He scowled. "If it wasn't for your BIG help, I would have been able to find out what her name is by now."

"Ohhh, so that's what you're sulking about," his friend sighed as he closed the door and walked over to him. "Pardon me, but I can clearly remember that YOU were the one telling me to get some help," he reasoned. "You didn't really specify WHAT kind of help."

"Keh!" Inuyasha spat, refusing to admit that he was actually right.

Miroku grinned, knowing that he had won the argument, but decided not to add any more water to the boiling oil, since he had come with another purpose. "So...why aren't you outside with this beautiful weather? I can clearly see that you're bored to death here."

Inuyasha pointed to his desk. "Can't you see this pile of homework? My father said I can't go out before I finished all of it," he wailed.

"That's a pity," his friend said. "Because there's something really interesting happening out there right now and I thought you might want to see it."

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"A contest."

"Keh! What's so interesting about a contest?!"

"Well..." Miroku began. "It's not just any regular contest...it's a battle for a bride."

Inuyasha gave him a puzzled look.

"Never heard of it?" he asked. He cleared his throat when the hanyou shook his head. "Basically, it's a contest where unmarried men compete with each other for a certain girl's hand in marriage."

"That's the stupidest kind of contest I have ever heard of!" the hanyou spat. "There is no way you can convince ME to watch that."

"I heard the bride is quite beautiful."

"Don't care," he stuck up his nose.

Miroku smirked at his friend's indifferent response. "What if I told you that the man you mentioned, who tried to harass that childhood girlfriend-look-alike of yours, has participated and is winning the contest at the moment?"

Inuyasha's ears twitched and let out a growl before he knew it. _That bastard??_ he thought and gave Miroku his full attention.

"Wouldn't it be a perfect chance to humiliate and punish that guy for what he tried to do?" Miroku suggested, hoping to convince his hanyou friend enough for him to go. He was shocked when Inuyasha suddenly shot up of his chair and headed to the window. "Inuyasha? What are you doing?"

Inuyasha opened the window and turned to Miroku. "I'm going to kick some bastard's ass...are you coming or not?" he growled before jumping out of the window on a nearby roof.

Miroku chuckled. "Now that's more like it!" And he followed Inuyasha, mentally smirking at the thought that he will be seeing his little angel very soon.

  
~*~

  
The longer Kagome watched the contest, the more terrified she became for the high possibility that Naraku would win and become her husband for life. She was glad she had a veil covering her face, so no one would notice the nervousness and terror written all over her face. She couldn't stand it anymore, the pressure, the fear and most of all...the arrogance and confidence written on Naraku's face. As much as she wanted to stand up and run away from the horrible reality, she couldn't find the strength to do it and dishonour her father in front of all those people of the audience. 

Then suddenly, as if the Lady of Misery pitied the girl's lack of strength, a piece of memory flashed before her very mind, causing her to widen her eyes. 

In the past 12 years, it had always been blurry fragments and broken conversations, but now she could clearly see herself dressed in a creamy yellow yukata. 

  
[**AN:** Here, italics are spoken words that Kagome remembered.]

She was sitting on a large cold rock, but she wasn't alone. There was another person...a boy. And he was holding her in his arms. And she was sobbing in his chest. _"What's wrong??? Are you hurt??"_ she heard him ask.

She shook her head and continued to sob.

She felt him stroke her hair._ "Then what is it? Please tell me,"_ he pleaded as he pulled away to look at her face. Kagome tried really hard to remember how he looked like but failed and the face of the boy ended up being in the shadows with indistinguishable features.

_"I-I...don't want to l-leave...I don't want to..."_ she said, broken in sobs.

_"Leave...? What are you talking about Kagome?"_

_"F-father...h-he entered my room after you left...and he saw the wound on my cheek. He became angry and scared...a-and he said...he said..."_ Before she could even finish her sentence, she burst into tears again and started to tremble.

_"What did you father say?? Kagome?"_

But she was unable to answer, as she was busy with sobbing and hiccuping. To her surprise, the boy wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest once again. _"Shhh..."_ she heard him whisper to her to calm her down. And eventually...she did.

And then he pulled away again. _"Tell me Kagome...what did you father say when he saw that wound on your cheek?"_

_"H-he said...that it was too dangerous to stay here...in the forest...that we should never have come here...and that it would be a lot safer in the city..."_ she sobbed as tears started to fill her eyes once again. _"...and he just decided it like that...by tomorrow morning...without even listening to me..."_

_"So...you...are...moving away..." _she heard him say with a tone of disbelief.

Suddenly, as if someone had shut off the electricity for a moment, her mind went totally black for several seconds and as soon as the scenery disappeared, it reappeared again. This time, she suddenly found herself staring at the boy. 

_"Do you remember what I told you this morning? That I would fall in love with you eventually?"_ she heard him ask as he cupped her cheeks and dried her tears with his thumbs.

She nodded and leaned into his warm hands.

Although the features on his face were blurry, she could tell that he was actually smiling at her as he leaned closer. _"I think I just did."_ And before she could process the information, she already felt his lips on hers.

  
And then Kagome's mind went black again. When it reappeared, she found herself in the middle of a forest near a creek. She had turned slightly to the boy who was sitting behind her against a tree.

_"Don't worry...we will..."_ she heard him say. Apparently it was a question that she had asked during the black period of her mind.

Her lips curled into a small smile, but she dropped it again. _"What if we won't?"_ she asked as she averted her gaze.

Then she felt his arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her to his chest again. _"Then I'll search for you until I've found you."_ she heard him whisper to her ear and then...all went black again.

  
But this time, it remained black and so Kagome finally came back into reality again with a small inaudible gasp. Her nervous and terrified expressions were soon replaced by one filled with hope. It's true that she still wasn't able to find out whom she had made that promise with, but after the flash of vivid fragments, she was sure that the boy and the promise weren't just her imagination, nor were they just a dream. It was part of her lost childhood.

Without hesitation, Kagome stood up and turned to her father. "Father, may I please be excused? I need to go to the bathroom."

"Well of course my dear," her father replied with a smile. "You may even have your maid accompany you, since I'll be enjoying myself with the battle."

"Thank you," she bowed slightly before turning to leave.

With her personal maid following behind her, she walked back into the mansion again.

  
~*~

"I'll be fine by myself Sango, you can wait here for me," Kagome ordered before opening the door to the bathroom.

"Okay!" the maid replied casually and she turned her back to the door after her mistress closed and locked it.

~*~

Kagome took a deep breath as she walked deeper into the bathroom. She turned to look at the door. _I'm sorry Sango...but you will be able to make up a good excuse for this...right?_ she apologized mentally before looking up at the small window above the sink. _It's my own future...and I will never let anyone decide it for me._

She approached the sink and was ready to climb on it, but stopped when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes scanned her own body and realized she couldn't leave without getting rid of the eye-catching garments first. Fortunately, she had always kept a simple white yukata in one of the wardrobes in case she planned to sneak out of the household and she made her way to it.

Kagome quickly undressed herself of the delicate red yukata and put on the white one before walking over to the sink again. _And now for the makeup..._ she thought as she put down the neat pile of red clothing on a chair next to the sink. She sighed as she admired her pretty yet unrecognizable face for the last time and began to wipe off the red lipstick, blush and eyeshadow. And finally, her hand traveled up to the knot on the back of her head. _Pity...but there's no stopping now..._ she nodded to herself and swiftly pulled out the flowers and the pin that held her hair together, causing her long raven-black hair to cascade on her shoulders and her back.

A smile appeared as she recognized herself in the mirror again: simple, natural and self-determined. _All done!_ she said inwardly before her eyes drifted up to the small window again. Her smile dropped and was replaced by a serious and determined expression as she climbed on top of the sink and reached out to open the window.

"Kagome? Are you done yet?" Sango's voice suddenly sounded from the other side of the door.

Kagome almost slipped of shock but luckily managed to steady herself against the wall. "Ah...well euhm..." she stuttered, trying to think of a good excuse to send her maid away. "I-I think I need some more blush...could you go to my bedroom and bring me my powder box?" _Oh good one! _she mentally praised herself, for once appreciating the typical woman trait called 'vanity'.

"Okay! I'll be right back," her maid replied, followed by the sound of leaving footsteps.

She sighed in relief. _Sorry..._ she apologized again before turning back to the window. 

After several attempts, Kagome finally managed to open the window and she climbed out of the bathroom. In her mind she prayed for Lord Takada to understand her motives and to forgive her for such rash and disgraceful action.

* * *

Hope you liked it ^-^. It took me quite some time to write it though. Anyway, the next update won't be coming very soon, I apologize for that. It's because of those stupid tests and deadlines again, which I told you of before. Please look forward to the next chapter ne?

**Next chapter: **Engaged

~*~  
\\"Milady...is missing...milord..."//

\\"I want you to change into Kagome's garments and come back with the veil over your head."//

\\"I understand, milord."//

  
\\"Come on! Let's hurry or that guy will definitely win the contest!"//

\\"I know!"//  
~*~

**REPLIES ON REVIEWS:**

**whitemiko:** Thanks, I'm glad you also agree with me that Kagome and Inuyasha shouldn't be able to reunite just like that ^-^!

**Kyia Star:** I write chapter with an average of 3000-5000 words, I hope that's not too short ^-^. 

**Akai Kiniro: **Yup this is an Inuyasha/Kagome pairing. I'm glad you like the story so far. As far as I'm concerned, it will take quite some time for those two to recognize each other ^-^.

**Ks-Starshine:** Thank you very much! Glad you like my kind of cruelty hehehe.

**Inukamisashi: **Thanks!

**Rhexi: **Hahaha they won't, that I can tell you. Not that soon ^-^ but they will eventually recognize each other.

**Shrimple13: **Thanks for reviewing!

**Chibi-Call: **Thanks!

**sky77: **Thanks!! Hahaha you've gathered quite well, because they aren't going to get together any time soon hehehe :p.

**Kireina-no-Megami:** What a coincidence! Thanks for reading my story and a happy (belated) birthday!  
~*~

Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~ 

Posted: 25 February 2004  
Last Edited: 25 February 2004  
Spelling check: YES


	11. Engaged

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**:  
Sorry for letting you wait, but I've been busy and had some trouble with my muses. They don't seem to want to help me if I'm not sitting in the train, which I haven't for the past week. But here it finally is! Enjoy reading!!

_Italic_: thoughts or emphasized words  
-- --: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~*~*~*~: time gap or change of perspective  
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**

-by Kittymui-

  
**Engaged**

  
**Previously:**  
After several attempts, Kagome finally managed to open the window and she climbed out of the bathroom. In her mind she prayed for Lord Takada to understand her motives and to forgive her for such rash and disgraceful action.

  
~*~*~

  
Sango took a deep breath as she ascended the steps to the platform. _Oh boy...Kagome...you've really done it this time..._ she thought nervously. 

_Here goes nothing..._ she nodded to herself and took her first step towards Lord Takada, who's attention was still caught by the battle between Naraku and his challenger.

"Euhm...milord?" she called as she bowed until her mouth was on the same height as his ear.

"Yes Sango?" he responded without looking at her.

Sango gulped. "There's...euhm...a problem..."

Lord Takada finally turned his head to her and raised an eyebrow when he realized the maid was alone. "Is there something wrong with my daughter? Why isn't she with you?" he asked with a worried tone.

"Euh...well...milady is fine...I guess..." the maid stammered.

He frowned and gave her an expecting look.

"Milady...is missing...milord..."

Lord Takada widened his eyes but managed not to yell or shout out of shock in front of all the audience. "H-how? How did it happen?! Weren't you by her side??" he whispered, trying to be as calm as possible.

"Milady went to the bathroom and told me to stay outside. And then she asked me to get her powder-box from her bedroom. When I got back and asked her to open the door, she didn't reply so I had a guard open it for me. But when we entered the bathroom...milady wasn't there," Sango explained. "We only found her clothes and hair decorations...and the small window above the sink was wide open milord."

Lord Takada rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Did she leave something behind? A note of some kind?"

"No milord."

He thought for a moment, when suddenly an idea popped up inside his head. "She left all her garments behind you say?"

"Yes milord."

He motioned for the maid to lend him an ear. "Sango," he whispered. "I want you to change into Kagome's garments and come back with the veil over your head."

Sango widened her eyes. "B-but milord__"

"Don't worry, Kagome will still be the one getting married," he cut her off. "But I can't let anyone know that my daughter is missing, so you'll be disguising yourself as her for the moment. And in the meantime, I will have all of my guards search around for her."

The maid nodded understandingly. "I understand, milord." And with that, she turned around and walked back into the mansion to do what she was told.

  
~*~

  
"Come on! Let's hurry or that guy will definitely win the contest!" Miroku complained as he ran through the streets of Shiho.

"I know!" Inuyasha replied, leaping from roof to roof.

  
After running a while, they finally reached the border of the city. 

"There it is!!" Miroku pointed at a mass of people at a distance surrounding a big wooden construction with a thick tall pillar in the middle. All of this was located in the garden of a nearby mansion.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes as he recognized one of the two participants on the battle stage. Although he had only met him once, he would never forget those annoying crimson eyes and that long wavy black hair of his.

While a scowl appeared on the hanyou's face as he jumped off of the roof to run next to his friend, a disappointed look could be seen on Miroku's face when he wasn't able to find his little angle on the platform near the masked bride and her father.

  
~*~

  
An extremely confident and victorious look appeared on Naraku's face when he ducked an attack and successfully kicked his opponent off of the battle construction.

After he straightened himself up, he turned to Lord Takada. "See? I told you it would be a waste of time to continue the contest," he grinned.

Lord Takada scowled at his rudeness and arrogance but quickly hid his displeasure as he stood up from his chair. "Are there any more challengers left?" he asked with a clear voice, shifting his gaze from the crowd on the left and right. "If there are no more challengers left then__" his voice faltered when he saw Naraku jump onto the pillar where the blue bouquet was attached.

"Then I'll just claim what's rightfully mine, isn't that what you wanted to say my dear father-in-law?" Naraku smirked, crossing his arms.

Lord Takada widened his eyes. "How dare you?!"

Ignoring the Lord, Naraku unfolded his arms and kneeled to grab the bouquet. But just when he almost reached it, a loud voice halted him from a distance.

  
"STOP!!"

  
Before he could look over his shoulder to see who it was, he already got kicked off of the wooden pillar onto a flat area of the construction.

The crowd gasped at the sudden attack and turned their attention to the new challenger, who gracefully landed next to Naraku.

Naraku let out a growl before pushing himself up to a kneeling position and turned his gaze aside to look at the one who kicked him.

Long silvery white hair, white dog-ears, golden eyes and red garments. 

"You!" he growled menacingly, immediately recognizing the hanyou.

Inuyasha responded with a smirk.

Lord Takada drew their attention as he decided to speak again. "Young man, have you come to challenge this Naraku?" he asked.

The hanyou nodded. "Yes sir."

"Then can you please identify yourself?"

"My name is Inuyasha sir," he replied with a polite bow.

  
Sango widened her eyes behind the red veil. _Inuyasha...? THE Inuyasha? T-then...he and Kagome___ her thoughts were cut off by Naraku's loud voice.

"Wait a minute!! But he's a _hanyou_!!" the black-haired participant protested, emphasizing the word.

Inuyasha turned to him and wanted to argue but Lord Takada was ahead of him with speaking. "I can't remember setting up a rule in which youkai aren't allowed to participate Naraku." he replied.

Naraku grunted as he stood up and jumped to create a distance between him and the hanyou.

"Let the battle begin!" Lord Takada announced before settling himself on his chair again.

And the battle began.

  
Inuyasha jumped into a fighting stance and waited for his opponent to attack.

"You!!" Naraku growled. "How dare you spoil it for me again?! Haven't you had enough last time?!"

Inuyasha grinned. "That's my line." he responded. "Too bad you didn't have a tail or I could remind you that you ran away with you tail between your legs."

"Why you__" Without finishing his sentence, he charged at Inuyasha with his fists first, which Inuyasha easily dodged with a duck.

Before he could even look down at Inuyasha, the hanyou already floored him by grabbing his stretched-out arm and kicking one of his feet.

Naraku landed on his side on the timber with a thud. When he pushed himself up and shifted his gaze to Inuyasha, he realized that the hanyou had jumped onto a wooden pole at a distance and was looking down on him with a smirk on his face. "Teme!!!" he cursed and quickly jumped onto a pole near him.

~*~

  
Lord Takada watched the battle with an amused expression and turned to the maid in disguise beside him. "Looks like we've got a new winner here," he whispered.

Sango nodded before shifting her attention back to the silver-haired challenger and drifted into her own thoughts. _I'm not mistaking...am I? This man...called himself Inuyasha...then he must know about Kagome..._ she mused inwardly. _But what if this Inuyasha is not the one who made that promise? What is he's someone bad who pursues her?_

She pondered for a moment. _He really matches the description of the man who saved Kagome last time...And those things they said to each other..._ But then she shook off the useless mental debating. _I better wait for Kagome to find out herself than to decided and do things I'm not sure of._ she decided and continued to watch the contest.

  
~*~

"Give it up Naraku, you're no match for me," Inuyasha suggested as he parried another attack coming from the black-haired man.

"Like hell I would! Unless you kill me, I will NEVER admit defeat!!" Naraku snapped in reply as he continued to launch punches at the hanyou.

Inuyasha frowned, but his ears perked up when he picked up a quite useful tip coming from the crowd. 

"Does he actually want to die? I mean...the battle ends anyway if he gets thrown off of the stage..."

  
Naraku noticed the distraction on Inuyasha's face and grinned as his eyes fell upon the sword that hung around his waist. Without second thought, his hand shot out to grab the hilt.

But as soon as he touched it, a surge of electricity shot through his hand and body, causing him to cry out in pain and stumble backwards.

It was then that Inuyasha realized what had happened and he smirked at the foolish attempt of his opponent. "I guess this Tetsusaiga of mine doesn't accept those who want to use it for dirty tricks," he chuckled as he patted his sword.

Naraku growled as he held the wrist of his injured hand. Like a mad animal, he lunged forward at Inuyasha again with his uninjured hand balled into a fist.

Although Inuyasha should praise the human for his perseverance, he let out an amused chuckled as he realized it meant only more humiliation that he could cause the bastard.

_I guess I should put an end to this._ he decided mentally as he dodged the attack with a back-flip and jumped high into the sky.

While in the sky, he unsheathed Tetsusaiga, which immediately transformed into a large fang-blade, and sent several blades of light to several different spots of the construction. And without sheathing his sword, he made a swift somersault before landing on top of the thick pillar at the center.

  
Stupefied by the sudden attack, which wasn't even close to hitting him, Naraku just stood there on the stage and wondered what the use of the attack was. Suddenly, the sound of splitting wood could be heard and the next thing he knew was that the whole stage was trembling and was starting to collapse.

A large cloud of dust rose from the battle stage area and masked it from the audience on the left and right as large pieces of timber made impact with the earth. After a while, the dusty cloud dissipated and everybody gasped when they saw that the entire construction was literally leveled. 

Naraku, who did not see this entire coming, found himself standing on the ground. When he looked around, he realized that the hanyou's attack earlier was meant to destroy every single support of the construction. Which apparently leaded to the collapse of the entire stage. All except for one thick pillar at the center of the rubble. His gaze traveled to the top of it and stopped when his crimson eyes met the golden ones, which were looking down at him.

  
A moment of silence was soon broken when a wave of cheering filled the air as the audience realized that the outcome of the contest had been decided.

Naraku, who had to admit his defeat, clenched his fists and silently walked away from the contest area. _Just you wait hanyou...I will have my revenge..._ he thought determined as he left the garden.

  
A content look could be seen on Inuyasha's face when he saw the defeated and humiliated expression on the bastard's face before disappearing around the corner of a nearby building. He sheathed his sword and folded his arms as he enjoyed the cheering coming from the crowd that was proving his victory.

  
The commotion died down when Lord Takada stood up and held up his hand. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began. "As you can see, this contest has come to an end, since there's no possibility to hold another battle anymore. But I am honored that you all will be the witnesses of the unquestionable outcome of this battle."

"Inuyasha," he called out the winner's name. "Will you please end the tradition and pick up the blue bouquet near your feet?"

Inuyasha, oblivious to what the 'tradition' actually was, knelt down and detached the bouquet from the pillar before standing up again.

Lord Takada smiled. "As I have announced before, the tradition of the battle for the bride says...that whoever gets his hand on the flower will get the hand of the bride. So Inuyasha...I hereby announce you as my rightful son-in-law and grant you my daughter's hand in marriage." he said as he took the hand of the masked bride next to him.

  
Inuyasha froze and widened his eyes at hearing this. He had completely forgotten about the meaning of the contest and had now suddenly become the winner of the battle for the bride while his purpose of participating was only meant to defeat and humiliate Naraku.

Inuyasha, who had promised his childhood girlfriend to ask her hand in marriage, was now engaged to another, unknown girl.

All of the commotion and loud cheering suddenly became inaudible to him, despite his sensitive hearing, and only one word occupied his mind.

  
_Shimatta..._

* * *

Hehehe how did you like this one? I hope you're not all too confused about the plot, because it will be more complicated later ^-^. To enlighten you, Inuyasha doesn't know that the bride is Kagome, and he doesn't know that Kagome is Lord Takada's daughter okay? Anyway, please look forward to the next chapter!

**Next chapter: Missing betrothed**

~*~  
\\"Sir, I have come to report that we have found milady and that she will be brought back to the mansion as soon as possible."//  
~*~

**Vocabulary:  
****teme:** a very rude way to refer to someone as 'you'  
**hanyou:** half-demon  
**Tetsusaiga:** (I think this way of writing the name is much cooler than just 'Tessaiga") It the sword that belongs to Inuyasha, given by his father.  
**shimatta: **oh no...

~*~

**REPLIES ON REVIEWS:**

**KitsuneNeko**, **yukina-dark**,** um....**, **hanyougal34**, **Rhexi: **Thank you all for reading and reviewing my story!!! I'll try to update as soon as possible!

**Kaiyouu: **Hahaha I'm terribly sorry, but I can't seem to help it and prevent myself from using cliffhangers ^-^. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

**whitemiko:** Sorry for the late update, I hope you liked this chapter ^-^.

**LadyJynjr:** Hahaha not any time soon, that I can tell you ^-^. Thanks for reviewing and putting my in the favorites list. And about Kikyou...she is going to appear later but don't worry, the pairing won't change ^-^.

**Akai Kiniro: **Hmm Kouga has already appeared in this story, but I don't think he'll appear again. As for Kanna and Kagura...I don't really know, sorry ^-^. And about Kagome and Inuyasha, hehehe they will not recognize each other any time soon *grins evilly*. And the length of the chapters? You see, the problem is, I'm not an English native speaker and it takes me some time to write a proper chapter in English since my vocabulary is quite small. So the longer the chapter, the longer it takes me to update.

**Ayame13:** Hahaha thanks for reading and reviewing my story, but I can't reveal anything about my story, or else it would spoil the suspense ^-^.

**myinuyasha04: **Thank you very much!!

**Kyia: **Yeah... it gets messier hehehe, hope you still like the story ^-^.

**Ks-Starshine: **Yeah wait and see ^-^! Thanks for reviewing!!

**power-to-the-pink:** Thanks for reading and reviewing!! Good luck with your stories!  
~*~

Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~ 

Posted: 2 March 2004  
Last Edited: 2 March 2004  
Spelling check: YES


	12. Missing betrothed

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**:  
I'm terribly sorry for taking more than a week to update. I really thought I would have lots of time for writing stories after this period started but I was wrong. The schedule is relaxed but I've received a big project instead *arrghhh*. I think I can only update one chapter a week from now on, please forgive me for that. 

Anyhow, do enjoy reading this chapter!

_  
Italic_: thoughts or emphasized words  
-- --: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~*~*~*~: time gap or change of perspective  
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**

-by Kittymui-

  
**Missing betrothed**

  
**Previously:**  
Inuyasha, who had promised his childhood girlfriend to ask her hand in marriage, was now engaged to another, unknown girl.  
All of the commotion and loud cheering suddenly became inaudible to him, despite his sensitive hearing, and only one word occupied his mind.  
_Shimatta... _  


  
~*~*~*~

  
Lord Takada sat comfortably on his chair in front of the warm fireplace in his grand livingroom. His green eyes reflected the dancing flames as he stared in front of him.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Come in," he ordered.

The door leading to the hallway opened and a male priest entered. He was an old bald man with a long gray beard, dressed in a dark brown robe and wearing prayer beads around his neck. "Milord," he greeted with a bow, before walking over to him.

"How is he?" Lord Takada inquired.

"He has finally calmed down, milord," the priest replied. "It was a wise choice to use the wards I gave you, or else he might have torn down the whole mansion with his youkai strength."

Lord Takada frowned. "I haven't asked for your opinion, have I?"

The old man quickly bowed again. "Forgive my impoliteness milord."

A silence fell upon the livingroom, until Lord Takada decided to speak again. "He's a youkai, is he not? Wouldn't he be completely purified in that room?" he asked, slightly bothered.

"No milord. Fortunately, he's a hanyou, which means he's partly human," the priest explained. "Although my wards aren't strong enough to purify his youkai part permanently, they will be enough to force him into his human form and keep him from escaping that room."

"Good," Lord Takada responded relaxed.

Shortly after he said that, a guard entered the livingroom and walked towards Lord Takada's side. The guard had short dark hair and was dressed in a dark outfit. A katana could be seen hanging around his waist. "Sorry to interrupt sir," he apologized with a polite yet firm bow.

Lord Takada turned to the priest. "I thank you for your help, I'll be sure to make a large donation this year."

The old priest bowed. "Thank you milord. I shall take my leave then." With that, he turned and left the two alone in the large room.

  
After the sound of the door closing, Lord Takada turned to the man beside him again. "Speak."

"Sir, I have come to report that we have found milady and that she will be brought back to the mansion as soon as possible."

His lips curled into a wide smile. "Good job. See that she will be safely returned to her own chamber." he ordered. "You are to ensure that she remains in the mansion until the day of the wedding, is that clear?"

"Sir!" the guard acknowledged and turned to leave.

"One more thing," Lord Takada halted him. "Find out where the family of my future son-in-law lives and inform them about the wedding. Things cannot be arranged if parents of both sides aren't present."

"Leave it to me sir!" With that, the guard bowed politely and left the livingroom.

Lord Takada closed hi eyes and drifted into his own thoughts. _Kagome, I know you don't want anyone to decided your future and happiness and that you might resent me for doing this against your will. But I sincerely hope that you will understand me someday._

Although he didn't know what kind of person this Inuyasha was, somehow deep inside he felt marrying his daughter to this young man wasn't a bad decision.

  
~*~

  
"LET ME OUT!!!" Inuyasha cried for one last time with the tiny bit of strength he had left after being ripped from his youkai strength.

He was sealed inside a regular bedroom with a dozen of purifying wards sticking on the outside of each wall. Although the most important seals were the ones sealing the pair of doors; they were too strong for his human form to rip apart.

Exhausted as he was after banging at the door and shouting for the past few hours, he reluctantly walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge.

_Kuso!_ he cursed inwardly. _How did I end up in this mess!!!_ His eyes fell upon his reflection in the long mirror that stood from across him. _Keh! It's not even new moon and look at me! I'm being forced into this annoying and useless form!_ he complained in his mind as he looked at his long black hair, dark eyes, human ears, fangless teeth and clawless hands.

He let himself fall backwards onto the soft bed and stared at the ceiling, which had the hue of the setting sun. Inside, he desperately hoped that some dumb maid would curiously remove the wards on the door for him.

  
~*~

  
By nightfall, Kagome was finally brought back to the mansion with a carriage. 

She had almost succeeded in escaping if it weren't for the dogs that the guards brought with them. She had hidden herself perfectly well in the thick bushes of the nearby forest, until she got sniffed out by those damned creatures that is.

"I can walk by myself, thank you!" she snapped at the shorthaired guard who offered her his arm after she stepped out of the carriage. 

"Yes milady," the guard responded before backing away a few steps. "But I was told to ensure your safety until you've reached your bedroom, so please understand milady."

"Do what you want, just don't remind me of your presence," she grumbled before making her way into the mansion. And so the guard silently followed her behind.

~*~

Kagome's face showed a sad expression as she walked down the halls to her bedroom. _Is this my fate?_ she wondered. _To marry someone I despise? While someone I apparently loved and who loved me back, is waiting and searching for me out there...?_

Her endless pondering stopped when she finally arrived at the door to her bedroom. 

"Aren't you going inside milady?" the guard behind her asked after watching her a while.

"I don't think I can sleep on an empty stomach," she replied flatly, realizing that she hadn't eaten today since she escaped this afternoon.

"Shall I have a servant prepare a meal for you then?" he asked.

Kagome shook her head and turned to the guard. "No need to. I'll do it myself, thank you," she smiled. "You must be tired after all that searching and following orders, you may return to your quarters now."

The guard gave her a hesitant look. "But__"

"I don't think my safety would be threatened in my own house, don't you agree?" she asked and walked pass the guard to the stairs.

"Very well milady," he acknowledged with a small bow as he watched her disappear to the floor below before retreating to his quarters.

  
~*~

  
_Sometimes I just wish I wasn't a lady at all..._ Kagome thought as she walked down the halls of the first floor towards the stairs that leaded to the ground floor. 

The hall was slightly illuminated by the candles on the walls, which made the hall look quite creepy if you're walking through it alone. But none of this mattered to her right now. 

Suddenly she stopped walking when a glowing object caught her eye. When she turned to it, she realized there were several of them plastered below each other and sealing the gap between a pair of doors.

_If I'm not mistaking...this should be a bedroom for guests..._ she recalled. _But why are there glowing wards sealing the entrance?_ Her hand automatically moved to one of the wards but stopped when she thought about the possibility of releasing a terrible monster and getting herself slaughtered. But then she shook her head. _I'll probably be tortured to death by Naraku anyway after I married him...things couldn't really get worse than that...so why don't I just satisfy my curiosity before I die?_ she persuaded herself as she started to rip off the wards one by one.

  
~*~

  
Inuyasha's eyes shot open when he heard the faint sound of someone shredding papers. 

He quickly got up from the bed and hid himself in the darkest shadows of the room next to the doors. _It better not be that priest...or I'll really give him a taste of my fist!! _ he growled inwardly. His body tensed and he held his breath when the doors opened with a small squeak.

"H-hello?" a meek girl's voice spoke from the doorway.

Inuyasha widened his eyes and almost gave himself away with a gasp. _I'm not dreaming...am I? Is there actually someone THAT dumb to enter a sealed room?_ he thought stupefied as he watched the indistinguishable shadow move into the dark room. He grinned. _Yeah, maybe she is stupid...can't say I'm not grateful for that...maybe I should scare her for fun..._

[AN: In case you get confused about where Inuyasha is standing right now. He standing against the wall where the doors are located. So if Kagome walks into the dark room, he only sees her back. If she doesn't turn around that is. And another thing, he will remain in his human form until he left the "purifying room".]

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked with a threatening snarl. He was immediately replied with a gasp as he watched how the shadow tensed but didn't turn to his voice.

"Ah...well...euhm...I..." the girl stammered.

Inuyasha sighed, knowing that he wouldn't be given a proper answer if she were still in her shock-state. "Didn't you know this room was sealed?"

"Uh well, yes..." the shadow replied with less stuttering than its previous attempt at answering.

"Then why did you unseal and enter it?"

_What the hell am I still standing here and talking to a stupid maid for?_ he asked himself as his eyes traveled to the wide open doors next to him. His eyes shifted back to the shadow as it spoke again.

"This is my house, so I don't have to explain why I enter a room, do I?"

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. _She owns this place? Then she must be___

"And I'll be tortured anyway when I'm married to that Naraku," she continued flatly. "So I figured: why not satisfy my curiosity first before being tortured to death?"

_Well what do you know...I'm actually talking to my betrothed here...but didn't she know that the bastard had lost? She was there wasn't she?_ he pondered, recalling the masked bride who sat next to Lord Takada.

"Why are you even sealed in my house anyway?" she suddenly asked, cutting off the hanyou's thoughts.

"Because you stupid father doesn't want me to leave while I don't want to do anything else but that," he replied plainly.

"Don't call my father stupid! Why does he even want to keep a rude individual like you here anyway!?" the girl argued.

Inuyasha smirked. "Because I won the battle."

"Y-you...what????" she gasped of shock. "W-why...how???"

"It was easy," he responded. "He was just no match for me."

Then a moment of silence took place between the two shadows.

  
"You're just as bad as Naraku," the shadow suddenly broke the silence.

The hanyou scowled. "What the...?! Don't compare me with that bastard!!"

"Aren't you!??" she argued. "I mean...you're arrogant and rude and most of all, forcing a girl to marry you by winning a stupid battle for the bride!! You're the worst!!"

Inuyasha widened his eyes. _Now she's gone too far!!_ "Watch your mouth girl!! Marrying you isn't even ON my list of things-to-do!! I just wanted to beat the crap out of the bastard, not because it was a stupid battle that would get me betrothed to some snobby daughter of a rich lord!!"

"What a lame excuse..." the girl retorted. "If you want to leave so badly, then why are you still here?"

"Well duhh! Because of those damn sealing wards from someone your stupid father hired!!" he snapped.

"Ha!" she smirked. "Then I guess you're not that strong after all. Able to defeat Naraku but not able to exit a room just because of some silly old wards...how ironic."

Inuyasha growled. "You don't know anything so you might want to watch your words girl!!"

"I just want to make clear that I will NEVER marry you! Not even if my life depended on it!" she spat.

"Well, the feeling mutual!!" the hanyou shouted. "Now if you'll excuse me, my_ dear _betrothed, I'm not going to stay here any longer."

With that, he pushed himself away from the wall he was leaning against and walked out of the open doors, not even sparing the shadow another glance.

  
~*~

  
_What a jerk!! _Kagome thought, as she stood there in the dark room, alone. Before she knew it, uncontrollable tears were already rolling down her cheeks. She grimaced. "Why...am I crying? Shouldn't I be happy that it's not Naraku whom I'm marrying?" she whispered to herself.

She was indeed relieved that it wasn't Naraku, but the unplanned first meeting with her unknown fiancé didn't make her feel any difference at the end.

Suddenly she remembered the vague person of her recently retrieved childhood memory. _I really want to see you again...whoever you are..._ she thought desperately as she slowly walked out of the room. 

Suddenly she didn't feel very hungry anymore and so she decided to retreat to her bedroom again.

  
-- at Kagome's bedroom --

  
She sat down against the wall of her favorite pillow-corner. _What am I going to do now?_ she sighed. _Just sit here and wait for the day of the marriage? And marry him??_ She quickly shook her head. "No way!!" she decided aloud. "There's no way I'll marry _him_!!"

Filled with determination, Kagome stood up again and walked to her bed. From beneath it, she pulled out a small bag and set it on top of her bed. Just when she was about to walk towards her wardrobe, someone knocked on her door.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

"Who is it?" she asked nervously.

"It's me, Sango," the person behind the door replied.

"Come in, the door's not locked."

The door opened and her maid entered. "Hey Kagome! I was looking all over for you, the guard told me you went to get something to eat but I didn't see you..." her voice faltered when she saw the bag on her mistress' bed. "W-what are you doing?"

"I'm going away again," Kagome replied flatly as she opened her wardrobe and dug through her stuff.

Sango widened her eyes. "Again!!?" she cried disbelievingly.

"Shhhhh!!" she shushed. "I don't want the whole mansion to know, you know?"

"B-but...aren't you going to meet your fiancé first?" Sango asked with a lower voice as she recalled the silver-haired winner. "He's__"

"I already have," Kagome cut her off, without looking away from her wardrobe.

Sango frowned. "Huh? But he was__"

"Sealed in a room? Yeah I know...I unsealed it..." she cut her off again.

The maid gasped. "And then? What happened?"

Kagome finally walked away from her wardrobe with a pile of clothes in her arms. "I entered it...and we met," she summarized while putting the garments in the bag on her bed.

"And you didn't find out something unusual about him?" she asked. "Something familiar?"

"Familiar? Well yeah, he reminded me of that arrogant bastard Naraku!" Kagome responded agitated. "He's rude, arrogant and insensitive!!"

Sango thought for a moment. _Hmm...then I guess I was wrong to think that this Inuyasha was the one from her childhood or the one that had saved her on the day of the Festival._ She snapped back into reality when she heard her name.

"Sango? Will you promise me not to tell anyone about this?" her mistress pleaded, finishing the packing.

"But where would you go?" she asked worriedly.

"I don't know, I'll probably hide myself until this is all over and until father stops forcing me to marry someone I don't like," she decided.

"Wait a minute," Sango said, recalling something. "You unsealed the room...then...then he__"

"He left," Kagome finished the sentence. "Good for him since he didn't want to stay here either."

"But that doesn't mean my father would stop pursuing him since he went that far to keep his future son-in-law from leaving. I mean come on...sealing somebody in a guestroom???"

"I guess you have a point," her maid gave in. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this. But the thing I'm worrying about is how you are going to escape from this double-guarded mansion without being caught?"

Kagome smiled. "Give me your clothes."

Sango widened her eyes. "W-what?!"

"You heard me. I want to escape unnoticed, it will be easier if I disguised myself," she explained. "Please?"

The maid sighed and started to undress herself. "But how am I going to explain this?"

"Just say I stole your clothes while you where sleeping," Kagome suggested as she started to undress herself as well.

~*~

  
"All right, I'm off now," Kagome smiled, looking at herself, dressed in a black yukata with small white flowers. [AN: An outfit she would never have worn as the lady of the house.]

"Be careful," Sango said as she finished slipping into Kagome's white yukata.

She nodded. "You take care of yourself too."

With that said, she flung the bag over her shoulder and headed towards the door.

  
Sango watched her mistress close the door behind her and sighed. She wanted to stop her from doing something foolish again but on the other hand; she really didn't want to see her sad face after she married the one she dislikes.

In her heart, she just hoped the person of her childhood would find her soon and free her from her misery.

  
~*~

  
Kagome sneaked pass the guards through the corridors and halls of the mansion and finally reached the ground floor unnoticed. _There's no turning back now._ she thought determined as she hid herself behind a corner next to the door leading to the basement. In the meanwhile, she quickly thought about her next step of her escape.

Just when she was about to leave the corner, a hand suddenly covered her mouth from behind while an arm looped around her waist and pulled her backwards into the basement.

"Hmmmpppff" she struggled as she felt herself being pulled into a brighter area.

"Shhh! I won't hurt you!" a male's voice whispered. "I'm going to uncover your mouth now. Please don't scream...okay?"

She nodded and calmed down a little.

The hand covering her mouth moved away and so did the arm around her waist. As soon as she got the chance, she quickly turned around to scold the one who dared to kidnap her like that. But her eyes widened the moment she saw her captor and so did her captor when he saw her.

"You!!" they both gasped in unison, recognizing each other from the day of the Festival.

Overwhelmed by relief and happiness, Kagome threw her arms around her silver-haired captor and savior (of three days ago). "I'm so glad to see you again!!" she cried.

Startled by her sudden familiar way of greeting, Inuyasha only stood there without returning the hug as a blush crept up his cheeks. "Euhm..." he said after a moment of silence.

Kagome finally realized what she was doing and immediately pulled away. "Oh! I'm so sorry!!" she apologized with a faint blush.

"It's okay, I'm happy to see you too," he smiled.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I should ask you the same question," he replied.

_Better not tell him I'm the daughter of this mansion's lord..._ "I work here," she answered.

"You're a maid here??"

Kagome nodded. "And you? You don't belong here, do you?"

Inuyasha scowled. _Hmm I better not tell her I'm trying to escape because I don't like my betrothed..._ "I was framed by the lord of this mansion for something I didn't do," he responded.

She narrowed her eyes. "Oh, so you're trying to escape then?"

"Well, I'm not going to sit here and wait for them to realize I'm innocent."

"Then why are you still here?"

He dropped his gaze. "Euh...I'm...kind of...lost, you see?" he explained embarrassed.

Kagome grinned. "You're lost? Hmm can't blame you, since this house is really big."

"Keh!" Inuyasha stuck up his nose.

"Tell you what. I'm willing to show you the exit if you'll help me with leaving this place unnoticed," she offered.

"You're escaping too?!" he reacted dumbfounded, a little louder than expected.

"Shhhhh!!!" Kagome shushed.

"Why?" he whispered with a lower voice, finally noticing the bag that she was carrying on her back.

"Well...someone's waiting for me out there," she replied awkwardly. "Now stop asking me questions or I'll refuse to help you!!"

"Okay okay, you got yourself a deal," Inuyasha quickly agreed. "You show me the exit and I will get you out of here."

"All right, let's go!" Kagome decided and turned towards the door to the hall again. With Inuyasha right behind her.

~*~

Together, they managed to sneak through the mansion to the main hallway.

"This is the toughest part of the escape," she explained, pointing at two guards who were guarding the main exit. "There are also a lot of guards patrolling in the garden right now."

"Leave this to me," the hanyou grinned as he walked towards a nearby window. "Can this be opened?" he pointed at the window.

"Euh...yeah...why?" she asked.

"This is leading to the garden, right? Since we can't use the doors, we'll have to improvise," he explained with a low voice.

Kagome understood and walked to his side in front of the window. Without second thought, she unlocked the window and shoved it upwards as silent as possible until it was big enough to climb through it.

"All right! Now climb on my back," the hanyou ordered as he turned his back to her and knelt down.

Kagome widened her eyes. "W-wha__?"

"No time to hesitate or doubt. Just do as I tell you. Do you want to get out of here or not?" he cut her off.

_Yeah!_ Kagome answered in her mind and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hold on tight!" he whispered as he looped his arms around her legs to keep her from falling and climbed onto the windowsill.

With a swift leap out of the window, they found themselves in a shadowy corner of the garden. 

"Watch out for the guard," Kagome warned as she saw that someone was patrolling their way.

"Don't worry," was his reply.

Kagome almost instantly buried her head in the hanyou's back to prevent herself from screaming when the hanyou suddenly jumped high up into the sky towards a nearby tree in the garden. Her grip around his neck tightened as mixed sensations ran through her body and mind.

Strangely enough, nostalgia was one of those feelings too. Being carried on one's back and leaping into the sky like this seemed rather...familiar...as if she had experienced it before. But when? And with whom?

Being deep in thoughts, she didn't notice that he had leaped over several trees and was already standing on the ground just outside the garden.

"We're here," Inuyasha announced as he began to release her from his grip.

"Oh," Kagome snapped back into reality and climbed off his back. "Thanks for helping me," she smiled at the silver-haired man. "Again."

"No problem," he returned a smile. "Will you be okay from here?"

"Yeah, thanks," she nodded. "I'll be leaving now, take care! And thanks again!"

With that, she granted the hanyou another gentle smile before turning around to leave. _I still got to see who I wanted to see before I leave...although a little bit late but it's better than nothing._ she thoughts to herself as she entered the forest.

  
~*~

  
Inuyasha watched how the maid disappeared into the woods.

_Damn!_ he cursed inwardly. _I forgot to ask her name...again!!_ But then he shrugged it off. _Oh well, I got to meet her for the second time. I'll just ask her the third time we meet._ he decided with a smile.

He too, couldn't help but notice the nostalgic feeling he felt when he carried the maid on his back. It made him think of his childhood lover again. _Why does everything about her remind me so much of Kagome? Could she really be her? _ he mused. _But why doesn't she recognize me then?_ he repeated the question that his conscience had asked him before. He was pulled out of his thoughts abruptly when a stern yet awfully familiar voice spoke behind him.

"Inuyasha, what the hell are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"

He quickly turned to the voice and widened his eyes as he recognized the tall person dressed in a long thick black coat, which accentuated the silvery white color of his long hair. "F-father??" he said stupefied.

But he was not alone. A group of guards holding torches was standing right behind the Taiyoukai.

"Why are you here?" Inuyasha asked surprised. "And all those guards behind you." 

His father frowned. "I asked to be escorted to this place after I received a message about you becoming the future son-in-law of a certain Lord Takada. And then I caught your scent when I entered the garden, so I decided to take a look. And that's why I'm standing here right now. Care for an explanation?" he asked expectantly.

"Inutaisho-sama, Takada-sama is waiting for you at the mansion. Shall we go there first?" a guard interrupted from behind.

"Very well," the Taiyoukai agreed. "Make sure my son is following behind then."

"Yessir!"

Inuyasha's face dropped almost instantly. _Oh crap..._

  
-- back at the mansion, in the livingroom --

  
After the usual greetings between the two lord, Inuyasha's father was informed about what had happened this afternoon and how his son got engaged to Lord Takada's daughter.

Much to Inuyasha's surprise, Inutaisho didn't get angry after hearing all that. Instead, he immediately approved the marriage without hesitation.

"But father! I promised to marry someone else!!" Inuyasha objected.

"We've had this conversation before Inuyasha. Why can't you see this as an opportunity to settle down?" Inutaisho reasoned.

  
Suddenly a guard entered the livingroom and interrupted the argument between father and son. "Takada-sama! This is bad!!" he cried panicked. It was the shorthaired guard whom was given the task to guard Kagome before.

Lord Takada scowled and turned to Inutaisho. "I'm terribly sorry for my guard's rudeness," he apologized.

"Not at all," the Taiyoukai smiled in reply.

Then Lord Takada turned to the guard again. "Can't you see I'm discussing things with my guests?" he grumbled.

"I'm sorry milord. But it's about milady," the guard explained.

He sighed. "What is it this time?"

"Milord...she is missing."

"WHAT?!?!" he cried with wide eyes. "I told you to guard her well, didn't I??"

The guard bowed deeply. "I'm terribly sorry milord."

Lord Takada rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Fine...you can leave now...I'll give you my orders later."

"Yes milord." And the guard left the livingroom.

The room suddenly fell silent.

  
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. _Missing...? I guess she has escaped huh? Almost admirable if she wasn't such a snobby girl. _he smirked inwardly.

But then something popped up inside his mind. _Wait a second...that maid, whom I helped escaping..._

_"...someone's waiting for me out there..."_

Inuyasha widened his eyes. _She must have meant her mistress, the daughter of Lord Takada!! Damn her...why did the snobby girl had to drag a maid along with her escape?!_

His train of thoughts crashed when Lord Takada spoke again.

"That rebellious daughter of mine always acts before thinking...I just hope my guards will get to her first before youkai do," he said with a worried tone.

It was then that Inutaisho decided to speak. "Why not have my son, Inuyasha, search for her as well? Surely he does have some responsibility since she is his betrothed and my future daughter-in-law."

Lord Takada widened his eyes. "No...I couldn't possibly...that's too much to ask for..." he refused politely.

Inutaisho wanted to argue with him but Inuyasha was ahead of him when he stepped forward. "I will go search for her," he said with a determined tone. "If Takada-sama is willing to grant me that permission."

Both lords were surprised to hear this. And of course, Lord Takada gave Inuyasha his permission eventually. And even Inutaisho was happy that his son was finally going to do something to be proud of.

Yet none of them knew Inuyasha was doing this for the maid and not for the lady.

[AN: In case you're confused, by "someone's waiting for me out there" Kagome meant her childhood friend (Inuyasha), while Inuyasha thought she meant his betrothed (Lord Takada's daughter), that the lady was waiting for her outside the mansion to escape together. Inuyasha doesn't know the lady is called Kagome, nor does he know that he had helped his betrothed escape. All he knows is that he helped the Kagome-look-alike escape, whom he saved on the day of the Festival, who turned out to be a "maid" in Takada's household.]

* * *

Hahaha I'm quite sure that none of you had expected this to happen between the two main charachters ^-^, but I still hope you liked it!! Pretty long chapter if you asked me. It took me a long time to finish it ^-^. Please tell me what you think okay? I'll appreciate it!! Look forward to the next chapter!!

**Next chapter: Sold**

~*~  
\\"I want to rent a room for the night."//

\\"Don't I have to pay first?"//

\\"Oh no, it's not necessary to do it now, we'll ask for it eventually."//

\\_It's past midnight already...shouldn't everybody be sleeping by now?_//

\\"I know, but if we cut our contact with him, we;ll have no buyers left. And besides, we were able to fetch a nice one today, weren't we? I'm sure we'll be able to discuss a high price."  
~*~

**Vocabulary:**

**shimatta:** oh no...  
**kuso: **shit/damn  


~*~

**REPLIES ON REVIEWS:**

**Samara-chan:** Hehe, thanks for reviewing, I'm glad you liked it ^-^. Oh, there will be lots of fluff later, but they will have to meet first *evil grin*.

**KitsuneNeko: **Thank you!! I hope you liked this chapter, although it isn't quite what you have expected.

**michelle:** Don't worry, you're already in my mailing-list so an email will be sent to you automatically whenever I update ^-^. Thank you very much for your compliments!! 

**Kitty**, **Guardian-of-the-night: **Thanks!!

**Clearwater-Faerie:** I'm very sorry, but I can't seem to stop with using cliffhangers hahaha ^-^. Anyway, this is a humor/romance story and it is an Inu/Kag fic so...don't worry hehehe.

**Dragon Man 180: **Thanks! I'm glad you liked it, I had fun writing it!

**Ks-Starshine:** Thank you very much! Hahaha I wish I could be the bride too *pouts*.

**Shrimple13:** Surprised by the sudden twist? I hope you liked it ^-^!

**timelesslovelykagome:** She will remember him eventually, although I can't say when ^-^.

**LadyJynjr:** They will get together as well, can't tell you when though because I haven't planned it yet hehehe.

**lightmiko: **Yeah it's really ironic hehe, thanks for reviewing!!

**Inukamisashi:** Don't worry, she won't ^-^.

**osuwariIYK:** Where? Euhm I hope I answered the question with this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

**brazil: **Thank you! I will try to update as soon as possible!

**Kyia:** Thanks!! I'm glad I don't suck at describing fight scenes hehe. About Naraku's eyes, I honestly don't really know hahaha, I haven't really noticed the color of his eyes namely.

**Kaiyouu: **Just wait and see ^-^! Thanks for reviewing!

**Akai Kiniro:** My native language is Dutch, but I'm a Chinese girl, born in The Netherlands ^-^. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

**Ayame13: **Hehehe just wait and see ^-^, sorry that I can't tell you how this story is going to end. But all I can say is that I won't disappoint you, that I won't hihihi.  
~*~

Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~ 

Posted: 11 March 2004  
Last Edited: 11 March 2004  
Spelling check: YES


	13. Sold

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**:  
Darn, times just flows like a river...it has already been a week since my last update. Well don't worry; I've speeded up my pace of writing chapter (on paper) so the updates will come a bit faster for the following chapters! Anyway, enjoy reading!!

_Italic_: thoughts or emphasized words  
-- --: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~*~*~*~: time gap or change of perspective  
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**

-by Kittymui-

  
**Sold**

  
**Previously:**  
Inutaisho wanted to argue with him but Inuyasha was ahead of him when he stepped forward. "I will go search for her," he said with a determined tone. "If Takada-sama is willing to grant me that permission." Both lords were surprised to hear this. And of course, Lord Takada gave Inuyasha his permission eventually. And even Inutaisho was happy that his son was finally going to do something to be proud of.

Yet none of them knew Inuyasha was doing this for the maid and not for the lady.  


~*~*~*~

  
Inuyasha stood in the garden of Lord Takada's mansion, ready to take off. Since he was half youkai, he only asked for some money for on the way. He didn't need any servants following him, because that would only slow him down and add another human to his responsibility to protect. Nor did he need any nourishment. All he needed was his Tetsusaiga, his claws and determination, which he didn't have to worry about.

He had also received a letter from Lord Takada himself in case there were obstacles that prevented him from continuing his search. With his status, Lord Takada was surely not unknown in this part of the Western Lands so a letter with his personal crest on it might come in handy.

Lord Takada, Inutaisho and some of the servants and guards were standing near the main entrance outside the mansion, to see Inuyasha off.

All attention was drawn when someone suddenly called out to Inuyasha.

"INUYASHA!!!"

The hanyou turned to his name and immediately recognized the person running towards him. "Miroku!"

"I heard that you were going to start your journey in search of your betrothed, is it true?" he asked, breathing heavily of the run.

_Well, part of the truth..._ he thought to himself but nodded anyway.

"Wow! That's so heroic of you! Not that I've expected anything else!!" Miroku praised as his eyes traveled to the crowd behind him. And within a blink of an eye, he disappeared from the hanyou's side to in front of one of the maids.

"Oh Sango! How I have longed to meet you face-to-face!!" he said with a wide smile as he took her hands in his.

Sango was surprised by the sudden praise. "D-do I know you s-sir?" she stammered.

"Call me Miroku, please. You don't know me but there hadn't been a single day that I didn't think about you after I saw you at the Festival," he explained.

The maid shifted her gaze to Lord Takada and back to Miroku, who was still holding her hands. "P-pleased to meet you...Miroku-san," she said hesitatingly.

  
Lord Takada turned to Inuyasha. "Funny friend you have here," he said amused.

The hanyou smirked. "Yeah," he replied before turning to Sango. "But he's inherited some lecherous traits from his ancestors so you better watch out from now on."

The maid quickly jerked her hands out of Miroku's. "Eh...thanks for warning me..." she said awkwardly.

Miroku turned to his hanyou friend and scowled. "You just had to spoil it for me, didn't you?!" he pouted.

"Well, see if you can prove and persuade the girl that you're not. I'll be heading off now," Inuyasha responded with a grin.

"Take care," Inutaisho said to his son.

"I will," he nodded. And so he set off to search for his missing betrothed, or so he said.

  
~*~

  
_It's so peaceful here..._ Kagome thought as she walked through the streets of a small village called Shika. She was wearing a plain blue yukata with white sakura-blossoms embroidered on it near her left shoulder and right leg. _This is what I call freedom._ she smiled to herself as she approached a fountain and sat down on the edge.

She looked up at the sky, which was starting to get an orange color. _I better search for a place to stay for the night._ she decided and stood up again.

  
After searching a while, she found a quite luxurious inn just outside the village and entered.

"Hello?" she called out when she found nobody behind the counter.

Suddenly a middle-aged man appeared in the doorway behind the counter. "Good evening, how can I help you?" he asked, stepping up.

The man had brown hair and dark-brown eyes and he was wearing a formal brown outfit.

"I want to rent a room for the night," she replied.

"That won't be a problem, what's your name young lady?" he inquired.

"It's Maya."

"All right," the man responded, scribbling something down. "Your room will be the second one on the left after you reached the first floor. Here's the key to it." And he handed over a key.

"Don't I have to pay first?" Kagome asked surprised.

The man grinned. "Oh no, it's not necessary to do it now, we'll ask for it eventually."

Bewildered by the answer, Kagome still took the key and prepared to go to her appointed room upstairs. 

When she was halfway up the stairs, she heard the man talk again.

"I'm sorry old woman, but we don't have any rooms affordable for you."

She turned around and realized there was an old woman standing at the counter. When she saw that the woman was about to leave, she quickly ran down the stairs again. "Wait!" she halted her and turned to the clerk. "If you don't mind, I would like to pay for her stay."

The man behind the counter frowned. "If you do that, I'm afraid I'll have to ask for you to leave as well."

_What a jerk!_ Kagome thought angrily but turned to the old woman again when she felt her sleeve being tugged.

"You are very kind, young woman, but even I would have to refuse to take your offer for I don't see myself worthy of it. Goodbye." With that, she left the inn without sparing the man another glance.

  
After standing there a short moment, Kagome reluctantly went to her room upstairs while blaming herself for not being able to help an elderly woman.

  
~*~ that night ~*~

  
Kagome tossed and turned in her bad as she failed at finding a way to dreamland. _I wonder if I'll ever get to remember everything of my childhood...?_ she pondered and reached into her breastpocket. She pulled out the small porcelain medicine bottle and studied it. _I wonder if I'll ever see him again..._

Her thoughts were cut off when she heard voices coming from below. _It's past midnight already...shouldn't everybody be sleeping by now?_ With that thought, she climbed out of her bed and sneaked out of the room in her thin white nightdress.

She traced the origin of the voices to the stairs and stopped when she could understand what was being said.

  
"I'm tired of her low prices. Doesn't she know how tough it is nowadays to get good qualities? It's like they're becoming extinct or something."

Kagome recognized the voice of the man of before. He was probably talking to another person.

"I know, but if we cut our contact with her, we'll have no buyers left. And besides, we were able to fetch a nice one today, weren't we? I'm sure we'll be able to discuss a high price." the other person, who was apparently a man, responded.

"Yeah, you're right. Man! Was I scared that she would refuse to stay here just because of that old hag."

  
Kagome widened her eyes. _They're not talking about me, are they?_ She didn't know why, but something inside her told her that something very wrong is going to happen if she stayed here any longer.

She quietly made her way to her own room again, but just when she was about to open her door, some faint noises caught her attention, coming from the room next to hers.

_Curse my curiosity!!_ she scolded herself as she walked to the door of the neighboring bedroom.

The door was locked, but luckily Kagome kept a small hairpin in her sleeves for times like this. And within seconds she managed to unlock it. She opened the door and quietly entered the room.

Her eyes widened as she found herself standing between a couple of other girls on the floor, who were tied up and silenced with a tape sealing their lips.

"Oh my god..." she gasped.

But just when she turned to leave and wanted to act as if she had not seen what she had, she bumped onto a firm chest. When she looked up, she realized it was the man who stood behind the counter before. 

"Where do you think you're going young lady?" he asked with a smirk.

Kagome instantly froze and held her breath. _Uh-oh..._

  
~*~ meanwhile ~*~

  
"So you're saying that that friend of yours called Inuyasha only participated in the battle for the bride just to punish Naraku for what he tried to do to milady??" Sango said wide-eyed after she listened to Miroku's explanation.

They were sitting on a bench in the garden of the mansion. After may attempts made by Miroku, Lord Takada finally allowed him to meet the maid several times a week to prove his innocence (of being a lecher ^-^).

He nodded. 

"So the one who saved her on the day of the Festival really was Inuyasha," she concluded aloud.

"The one and only."

"That's strange...milady said she had met her fiancé and that he was a total jerk," the maid recalled.

"You said it was at night, right? Well maybe it was too dark for them to recognize each other back then." he hypothesized.

Sango tilted her head slightly. "But your friend's an inu-youkai, right? He should have recognized her by her scent then."

"He's not a full-blooded youkai; he's partly human," Miroku explained. "And sealing him in a room with purifying wards forced him into his human form. Losing his youkai strength also means losing the keen senses of a youkai, so he couldn't have been able to recognize your mistress."

The maid thought for a while. "Hmm...you have a point."

Miroku turned to the maid. "All right! Now back to us," he smiled.

Sango's face dropped. "But I want to hear more about that hanyou friend of yours!" she pleaded. "Like why he knew milady was in danger on the day of the Festival!"

Miroku wanted to object, but that was until he got confronted with the maid's irresistible puppy look. _Aw man!!_ he pouted inwardly.

  
~*~ the next day ~*~

  
"Let me go!! Where do you think you're taking me?!" Kagome cried as she was pulled out of the room where she was kept in with all the other girls. Her wrists and ankles were tied together but her mouth wasn't sealed like the them.

A tall and strong man, with a tanned skin-color, flung her over his shoulder. "You're going to make us some money, girl," he chuckled as he descended the stairs to the floor below.

"WHAT?! No way!! Let me go!!" she cried wide-eyed.

"You better lower your voice or I'll have to seal your mouth like all the others, which we all don't want to since it might cause bruises on your face and decrease your worth," he warned.

Kagome immediately shut her mouth and let the man carried her until they were standing in front of a carriage outside the inn.

He carefully put her down on the seat inside the carriage and sat down from across her. It was then that Kagome couldn't withstand the big question anymore that was buzzing in her mind. "Are you guys slave drivers or something?" she blurted out.

The man waited a while before answering. "I wouldn't call ourselves that."

"But...you're selling girls...like me, right?" she reasoned.

He chuckled. "Let's call it investing, girl," he said. "We're going to deliver you to a place where you can make money for us. Of course, we will receive a first payment first from the manager of that place. And if you do your job well, you might even be freed eventually."

  
The carriage started to depart and a moment of silence took place until Kagome decided to speak again. "So...where are you taking me? Where is this place you said you're delivering me to?"

The man raised a brow. "You're really talkative, aren't you? Oh well, it might come in handy when you're working there."

Kagome frowned. "Where?" Somehow, she felt she wasn't going to like the answer the man was about to give her.

"I guess it won't hurt telling you, since you'll find out eventually," he told her. "We're going to the famous Phoenix's Paradise...does that ring a bell?"

Kagome widened her eyes and gasped.

  
The Phoenix's Paradise, as the name probably said it, was a very well-known brothel in the Western Lands. It was run by humans for youkai and men of their own kin. She had heard stories and rumors about the place. Humans would sell their daughters to the place and receive a share of the rewards when guests are pleased with them. And there were also people who would kidnap or cheat girls to sell them into the business to make money for them.

And Kagome just couldn't believe herself to be one of those unfortunate girls. _What the hell does fate want me to become??_ she sighed inwardly as she looked out of the window at the passing trees and fields of grass.

"Hey girl, you want a napkin or something?" the man suddenly spoke.

Kagome turned to him with a bewildered expression but when she touched her cheeks she realized they were wet.

"Man! I just hate to see women cry..." he confessed in frustration. "Look, it's not as bad as you think it is okay? If you do your job well and get those customers pleased, I promised I'll set you free again."

"H-how long...will that take...?" she sniffed.

He scratched his head. "Well, that's not really up to me to decided...but I promise I will persuade the manager to give you back your freedom after you helped us getting rid of our debts."

Kagome dropped her face. _I guess he at least has a good reason to kidnap me and use me... Being sold to a brothel...isn't that bad...is it?_ she comforted herself. _I wonder what's worse? Marrying a jerk or being sold to a brothel..._

She quickly shook it off. _Heck! What the hell am I thinking?! Not that bad?!? Kagome...you do realize what 'pleasing' customers means, don't you??_ And then more tears started to well up in her eyes.

The man suddenly became angry. "Hey girl! I was trying to be nice to you but you're starting to piss me off with that sobbing of yours!!" he growled as he pushed a napkin into her hands. "If you don't stop crying now, I'll make you!"

She almost instantly covered her nose with the napkin and dried her tears with the back of her hand. Although being sold to a place like that was bad, but being killed before she even had the chance to meet the person of her childhood was worse.

After she let out her last sob, the trip went on with the two silently gazing out of the window.

  
~*~*~

  
After a couple of hours, the carriage finally came to a halt. They have finally arrived at their destination: the Phoenix's Paradise.

It was located in a big city called Omoshi, which lied not very far away from Shika. Omoshi was mainly inhabited by youkai, and almost all of them were rich lords who didn't mind spending thousands just for an amusement.

The man untied the rope around Kagome's ankles and held her by her tied wrists. "Come on," he ordered as he climbed out of the carriage and pulled her with him.

Kagome widened her eyes when she looked up at the huge building in front of her. It was a wide building consisting of two floors and there were red lanterns hanging everywhere just outside the entrance. Above it, a large gold-coated display-board could be seen, saying "Phoenix's Paradise" in capitals. But she didn't get to watch for a long time as the man jerked at her wrists again and pulled her into the building.

  
From the inside, the brothel looked more like a crowded restaurant. There were tables everywhere with youkai sitting around them, accompanied by several sexy-dressed human girls, who were either pouring wine in their cups or playing alcohol games with them.

From across the main entrance stood a pair of wide red-carpeted stairs that leaded to the upper floor. But Kagome really didn't want to know or imagine what's mainly going on up there besides claiming your everyday rest.

She snapped back into reality when she realized someone was walking in her direction. It was a woman dressed in a gorgeous thin and revealing red dress that almost covered her crystal high-heeled sandals. The dress had a very wide and deep V-shaped neckline and it accentuated every single curve of her body that in Kagome's eyes could not be more feminine and desirable by men as well as women. It was a red silk dress with a thin golden snake embroidered on it near her waist. The woman looked very youthful, although she could be around her forties by now. She had long wavy dark hair and seductive pale blue eyes. 

She smiled, shifting her gaze from the man next to Kagome to Kagome herself. "So...what have you come to offer me today?" she said as she turned to the man again.

He pushed Kagome forward. "How much will I fetch for her?"

Kagome dropped her face to the floor but was made to look at the woman again when she pushed up her chin with her hand. 

"Hmm..." she said while brushing several misplaced strand of hair out of Kagome's face. "Where did you find this one?" 

"No questions, how much?" the man responded sternly, without looking at Kagome.

"My, aren't you in a hurry," she giggled and finally let go of Kagome's chin. "You know that really depends on the girl's skills..."

Somehow, the word 'skills' sent shivers down Kagome's spine as the woman said it.

"But..." she continued, giving the newcomer an approving look. "...if we give her something nice to wear and a nice treatment, I'm sure she'll even attract a great deal of customers with her looks only."

"I'll give you 5000 gold coins as a first payment. And depending on her achievements I'll have someone deliver an amount of money at the end of each month to you. Do we have a deal?" she offered.

The man's gaze shifted to Kagome and back to the woman. "Deal!"

With that said, he turned to leave.

  
Kagome quickly ran after him, with her mouth already opened to say something, but she stopped when the man looked over his shoulder to her. "Be a good girl and I will keep my promise," he said and left before she could say anything to halt him.

  
"Well then, shall we?" the woman asked as she walked to Kagome's side.

She turned to her with a clueless expression on her face.

"Follow me," were the woman's only words before she turned and walked pass the occupied tables, further into the building.

Kagome followed her until they were standing in a small study room. There were several red bookcases filled with scrolls and documents standing against the walls and a small brown desk could be seen at the far end of the room.

"So..." the woman started as she walked over to the desk. "...is my little ugly duckling ready to become a phoenix?"

Kagome's face instantly dropped, as she knew what it meant.

The woman smiled. "Hey don't look so gloomy...it ain't the end of the world yet. This place really isn't as bad as you think it is."

"You're...waiting...for someone...or searching...aren't you?" she suddenly asked after a moment of silence.

Kagome finally looked up at the woman with wide eyes.

"The look in your eyes told me," she explained. "I know this must be the last place you ever want to be, but whatever you story may be and no matter how touching it is, I still paid a big sum to have you work here, you do understand that don't you?"

"I honestly don't really care how you're going to do it but you will earn me back all that money. Do I make myself clear?"

Kagome nodded but her expression remained the same: gloomy.

"What's your name girl?"

"Maya...ma'am," she replied.

"Aha! So you can talk! For a moment I thought I had spent 5000 gold coins for a mute girl," the woman laughed. "You can call me Kaya. As you can see, I'm the manager of this place." She sat down on her desk and flipped on leg over her other one. "Look Maya, you're going to work for me whether you want or not, but why don't you look at it from a brighter perspective? If you've become famous, that person you're waiting or searching for will surely hear about you and come here to find you. I mean...this is _the_ Phoenix's Paradise you're going to work in. There will be little people who have not heard about this place. And if he really finds you, he might even buy you back your freedom."

Kagome thought about her words. _Famous huh...? She does have a point..._

"Let me know when you're ready and I'll have someone lead you to your room," the manager said and jumped off of the desk to leave the girl to think on her own.

"Wait!" she halted her.

The woman turned to her with an expectant look.

"I...I'm ready..." she said after a moment of silence.

_I will become famous...somehow..._ she thought determined.

* * *

I hope you liked this chapter ^-^. Nothing special really happened here, but I still have to write it whether you like it or not haha. Anyhow, please look forward to the next chapter!!

**Next chapter: The Phoenix of Ice**

~*~  
\\"Yeah it's true!! I met the Phoenix of Ice today, she was really nice!!"//

\\"And look! She even gave me her purse before she left." (...) "She gave it to me willingly and you know what? I found this in the purse."//

\\"What is it?"//

\\"I think it's a porcelain medicine bottle, it's pretty don't you agree?"//

\\"Yeah, look at that blue crest on it...that's a dog...howling to a crescent moon right?"//

\\His ears twitched. _A porcelain bottle with a blue crest...?! A dog howling...to a crescent moon?!?_//  
~*~

**Vocabulary:**

Ever wondered how I came up with the names 'Shika' and 'Omoshi' respectively for the village and the city?   
Shika is actually an abbreviation of the word 'shizuka' which bears the meaning 'quiet' or 'calm'. (Shika is a calm village)  
And 'Omoshi' is the abbreviation of the word 'omoshiroi' which means 'amusing' or 'interesting'. (Omoshi is a city where you can amuse yourself)

~*~

**REPLIES ON REVIEWS:**

**crystal singer**,** michelle:** Thank you!

**KitsuneNeko**, **EH**, **Shortlegs: **Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!!

**lightmiko: **Hahaha well, reviewers are the ones who help me keep my motivation to continue this story so it's the least I could do ^-^. Besides, I myself like it when authors reply to my reviews so I figured it would be the same the other way around. Thanks for reviewing!! I'm glad you like the plot!

**Ks-Starshine: **Thanks for waiting! Hope you liked the twist! (Hope you aren't too shocked hehehe)

**Kaiyouu: **Hahaha it might seem that I plan out my chapters very well, but at the end I just keep changing things. Sometimes I receive too much inspiration from my muses that I have no other choice but to amend the whole plot haha. Although I have to say that this is one of the most frustrating plots I have ever written (even to myself as a fanfic-author). Because I have to keep in mind what they do or do not know of each other or else I would end up writing nonsense if you know what I mean ^-^. 

**Kyia: **Hey thanks for telling me, I have changed the eye-color thingie in the previous chapters and I will keep it in mind for the coming chapters.

**kokoro:** I'm sorry, but what exactly is a "pocket lent". I'm not a native English speaker so forgive me for my shortage in vocabulary ^-^. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

**Guardian-of-the-night: **Thanks, it's great to hear that from readers!!

**Dragon Man 180:** Hahaha, that's just how destiny works huh? It likes to toy and play with people like that ^-^. Thanks for reviewing!

**Shrimple13: **I hope you're not too confused, but still, thanks for reviewing!

**Inukamisashi:** Hahaha, well you could say she's safe...but then again...

**Clearwater-Faerie: **Hahaha thanks! I'm glad you liked the chapter. And thanks for the emails! We'll keep in touch!

**Rhexi: **Sorry for the late update, I had some problems with my deadlines and...well you probably know the drill, but I'll try to update a bit faster! Thanks for reviewing!

**ANgirl:** Hehehe, sorry but they're not going to find out any time soon, so be prepared ^-^. But I'm glad you like the story so far.

**Milk.shake: **Thank you very much ^-^. My English may be good compared to most Chinese ppl, but compared to most English speaking 20-year-olds, I'm quite below the average I think hehehe. Thanks for your compliments!

**osuwariIYK:** Hmm I've never thought about that kind of twist...*evil grin*

**Kagura wind fairy: **Glad to have you back again! And that you still remembered this story ^-^ thanks!

~*~

Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~ 

Posted: 18 March 2004  
Last Edited: 18 March 2004  
Spelling check: YES 


	14. The Phoenix of Ice

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**:  
Thanks for waiting! Here's another new chapter of this story! Have fun reading it!!

_Italic_: thoughts or emphasized words  
-- --: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~*~*~*~: time gap or change of perspective  
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**

-by Kittymui-

  
**Phoenix of Ice**

  
**Previously:**  
"Let me know when you're ready and I'll have someone lead you to your room," the manager said and jumped off of the desk to leave the girl to think on her own.  
"Wait!" she halted her.  
The woman turned to her with an expectant look.  
"I...I'm ready..." she said after a moment of silence. _I will become famous...somehow..._ she thought determined.  


  
~*~*~*~*~

  
[AN: Don't be too confused, but since Kagome won't be using her real name for a while, I'll call her Maya from now on ^-^]

"Look! It's the Phoenix of Ice!!" a citizen cried, pointing at a woman who walked out of the Phoenix's Paradise.

Everybody on the street turned their attention to her and gawked at her unmistakable beauty. 

She was dressed in a silvery blue dress with a wide V-shaped neckline that accentuated every feminine curve of her body. The ends of her long silky sleeves were wide like a trumpet and decorated with silver edges. And the bottom of her dress was long enough to cover her crystal sandals.

Her raven-black hair was kept together in a loose knot on the back of her head with an azure-colored hairpin that had a figure of a phoenix at the end. It was a gift from the manager when she officially became the Phoenix of Ice several weeks ago.

~*~

Some time has passed and there wasn't a single youkai or human in Omoshi that didn't know about the Phoenix of Ice, who was also known as Maya. She had now become one of the treasures of the famous Phoenix's Paradise.

Although the ones who have become treasures are often known because of their skills in bed or seduction, Maya did none of these things to be noticed. Yet, the customers kept coming because of her beauty.

In spite of the fact she refused to do anything else other than pouring wine for her customers, they were somehow still attracted and amused by her icicle wall, hence she was granted the name 'Phoenix of Ice' by the customers and officially by Kaya.

Though in another way than normal, the newcomer still managed to attract more customers and receive more money than other girls, so she also became the most precious treasure of the manager. And in return, she gave the girl a privilege, which stated that she might choose how to please a customer and refuse if she doesn't like a request.

But unfortunately, freedom was something she could not grant the girl. It was the golden rule of the business: either you earn enough money to buy yourself free or persuade another person to do it. And nobody was allowed to break it.

~*~

  
Daytime was free time for the girls working in the brothel, for the business only started in the evening.

During the afternoon, Maya usually went outside to kill time. Yes, killing time was the word she used to hide her true motive, which was actually to let herself be known by the entire city as much as possible. Because the better she was known, the easier it was to be found by someone.

The man, who captured and sold her, did keep his promise eventually as he indeed returned one day to buy her freedom. But Maya refused. She knew it would be the same as giving up her own freedom to someone else, had she accepted the offer. 

She decided that if there was a good place to stay and wait for the person of her memory it would be the brothel. With the privilege she had, this place could be the safest of all places.

  
~*~

  
Maya's expression remained stoic as she made her way through her audience. 

Being well-known ensured her safety when going out in the city of Omoshi, but also brought her unwanted attention.

_I wonder if I'll ever be able to buy myself free? And if not, will he ever hear about me and come to find me?_ she mused as she continued her promenade through the streets.

There wasn't a single day that she didn't ponder about these two questions. A part of her wanted to go home and prevent everyone from worrying about her, but another part told her to stay rather than going back and marrying the jerk.

Being deep in thoughts, Maya didn't realize someone was running into her from the opposite direction.

"Ite!" she heard a small voice shriek and instantly snapped back into reality. When she looked down, she realized it was a little girl. She was wearing a worn-off orange yukata and her black hair looked as if she hadn't washed it for days. 

"I'm sorry, are you okay?" she asked, bowing a little as she looked into the little girl's dark eyes.

The girl got back to her feet and patted her behind to get rid of the sand on her clothes. "I-I'm okay."

Shortly after her meek reply, the sound of a grumpy stomach could be heard.

Maya smiled. "Are you hungry?" 

The child nodded while placing her hand on her stomach.

"Follow me then, I'll buy you something to eat as an apology for making your beautiful yukata dirty," she offered as she straightened herself up.

The little girl hesitated for a moment but nodded eventually as she couldn't fight her stomach.

~*~

"So...what's your name?" Maya asked as they waited in a simple noodle-restaurant.

"R-Rin...euh...miss..." she replied hesitatingly as her gaze darted around.

"You can call me Maya, Rin," Maya responded.

"Rin nodded and suddenly noticed the blue hairpin in Maya's hair. "You're the Phoenix of Ice people are talking about...right?" she asked.

Maya nodded. "Yeah...I may look cold-hearted on the outside but that's not really me, don't worry."

The child opened her mouth to say something but halted herself when a delicious smell of noodles drifted to her nose.

"Thanks for waiting! That'll be 10 gold coins please," the waiter behind them said as he put down a large bowl filled with noodles in front of the little girl.

Maya reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small blue bag of coins. She picked out the right amount and handed it to the waiter. "Here you go."

The waiter left after a polite 'thank you' and she turned to Rin again. "My my, you must be very hungry," she said surprised as she noticed how hastily the infant filled her small mouth with a mass of noodles using a pair of chopsticks.

The girl quickly bit off some strands of noodles to close her mouth and started to chew.

  
Maya watched how she managed to finish the entire bowl within several minutes. "Do you want another one?" she asked.

Rin shook her head and covered her satisfied stomach. "Thank you...I haven't eaten for two days now..."

"Two days?!" Maya said wide-eyed. "Where are your parents?"

"They died...they were killed by bandits when we were on the way here..." the little girl replied as a sad look appeared on her features.

  
Maya froze. _Bandits...?_ she thought and reached for her heart as if she was getting a heart-attack. _W-what...what's this painful feeling I'm having...? A-am I...remembering something...?_ Without realizing it, she had started to breath heavily.

"O-onee-san...? Daijoubu?" Rin asked, a little frightened by Maya's sudden change.

She snapped out of it, but not without a throbbing headache. "G-gomen...I don't know what's gotten into me..." she groaned, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Y-you don't look so well onee-san...maybe you should lie down and rest..." Rin suggested with a worried tone.

Maya looked up at the little girl and forced a weak smile. "M-maybe I should..." she agreed and pulled the small blue bag out of her sleeve again. "Here...take it..." she said as she handed the bag to her.

The infant widened her eyes. "D-demo__"

"Just take it, you'll need it more than I do," she cut her off. "Take good care of yourself, okay? You can always come to me whenever you need help."

With that, she pushed herself up from the wooden chair and slowly made her way to the exit of the restaurant, leaving the startled Rin behind.

~*~

Curious as she was about the amount of money she had received, Rin quickly left the place shortly after watching Maya disappear around a corner and went to a safe alleyway.

She slowly and carefully opened the bag as if it was made of glass and peeked inside.

Her eyes sparkled with joy. _Oh my God! She gave me more than 80 gold coins!!_ she cried inwardly. But then her eyes caught something else in the bag. _Eh?_

She stuck her small hand through the opening and grabbled in search for the strange non-monetary object. When she pulled it out, she realized it was a small opaque bottle made of porcelain. _Kirei..._ she thought as she ran the tip of her forefinger over the blue crest that was carved on it.

As the little girl continued to admire the small piece of art, a flash of silver and red passed by at the end of the alleyway where it met another street.

  
~*~

  
_What am I doing?_ he thought as he walked through the streets and passed several alleyways. He looked around and found himself almost completely surrounded by mainly youkai. He had heard some rumor about a girl, who's description matched the one of the maid he was looking for, being here, but he hadn't had the slightest idea how he was going to find her in this busy city filled with non-humans. 

_Why am I searching for her anyway? I shouldn't be wasting my time on this..._

_Because you've promised Lord Takada that you'll find his daughter, your fiancée, remember?_ his conscience replied.

Inuyasha dropped his face. _I've promised Kagome too...and now I'm looking for another girl when I should really be looking for her... Not to mention I've been looking and searching for some time now...without success._

_You're not going to give up...are you?_ the voice in his head asked.

_I don't know...but I don't think she'll be here..._ he reasoned.

_Who? Kagome, the maid or your snobby fiancée?_

_Neither of the three, because as far as I'm concerned, this place is mainly inhabited by youkai and the only places with human girls are the brothels here, so there..._ he replied.

_You can't really cast out that possibility you know..._ his conscience argued.

Inuyasha scowled. _I don't even want to imagine my Kagome, fiancée OR the maid working in an impure place like that...serving those..._ he quickly shook off the thought, as he didn't even want to think about the details. "Anyhow, I'm not going to stay here any longer!" he decided aloud and turned around to head to the gates of the city.

  
During his way towards the exit, he heard an awful lot of gossips and rumors about a certain girl known as the 'Phoenix of Ice'. Within 10 minutes, he probably picked up more information about this person than an average gossip-lady.

  
"Man! I just wish she was one of my concubines!"

"Yeah, she's really gorgeous, ain't she?"

"I heard she's quite new there..."

"There's no way she would choose YOU tonight! Ha!"

"I really want to see her again...if only a glimpse. Aww come on! Let's go to the Phoenix's Paradise tonight!"

  
The hanyou scowled as he picked up the name of the famous brothel. He realized that this girl was in fact a treasure of the impure place. 

He wanted to cover his sensitive ears and dash towards the gates, but that was not before he picked up something totally different about the same person.

  
"Yeah it's true!! I met the Phoenix of Ice today, she was really nice!!"

"Really? How?"

"I accidentally bumped into her, it was actually my fault. But she was kind enough to buy me a huge bowl of noodles as an apology for making my yukata dirty. Can you believe that?"

"Where is she now?"

"She became ill when I told her that my parents were killed by bandits on the way here. But look! She even gave me her purse before she left!!"

"You sure you didn't steal it? It's a lot of money in there."

"Believe it or not! She gave it to me willingly and you know what? I found this in the purse."

"What is it?"

"I think it's a porcelain medicine bottle, it's pretty don't you agree?"

"Yeah, look at that blue crest on it...that's a dog...howling to a crescent moon right?"

  
His ears twitched. _A porcelain bottle with a blue crest...?! A dog howling...to a crescent moon?!?_

  
"Uh-huh, but I don't think it's meant for me to have...so I'm going to give it back when I see her again!"

  
The hanyou turned to where he had heard the conversation and pushed his way through the crowd. _Could it be it? The bottle I gave her...??_ he pondered as he made his way to the corner of a retail-shop.

When he finally managed to break through the streaming crowd after a lot of squirming, he realized it was actually a conversation between two children. 

They were both girls around the age of 10 and both had dark untidy hair and worn-off clothes. One was dressed in an orange yukata while the other wore a mud-green one.

"S-sir?" the one dressed in green asked, looking up at him.

He dropped his gaze and widened his eyes when he saw what the girl in orange was holding in her tiny hand-palm. "Where...did you get that bottle?"

"Someone gave it to me," she replied. "Why?"

Not wanting to intimidate the girls with his height, he knelt down until their eyes were on the same height. "That bottle might lead me to a person I've been searching for a very very long time," he explained as he pulled out a small, flat and solid gold object and showed it to the girls. "You see...the blue crest on that bottle you're holding is in fact my family crest."

The girl in orange studied the crest carved on the golden plate and compared it with the one on the bottle. "You're right. It is the same crest," she agreed. 

"Why are you carrying your family crest around on a golden plate?" the other girl in green asked curiously.

Inuyasha smiled. "It's to prove my identity, see?" he said, flipping it over and revealing an carved name on the back. "It's says 'Inuyasha'; that's my name."

"Ohh..." both girls nodded in unison.

"I'm Rin, and this is Mika," the girl in orange introduced with a small smile.

"Well then Rin and Mika, could you please tell me about the person who gave you this bottle? That person might be able to tell me the whereabouts of the one I'm looking for," he asked, returning a smile.

"All right!" Rin decided. "I guess the true owner of this bottle has the right to know who stole it! But you have to promise me something first."

Inuyasha raised a brow of amusement. _Hmm...she got the wrong idea...but I guess it won't change the answer I'm looking for._ he thought to himself. "No problem!"

"You have to promised me not to hurt the person after I told you who she is, okay?" she told him.

He smiled. "I won't hurt that person who gave that bottle to you, I promise."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Rin let out a sigh of relief before explaining. "Her name is Maya, but here in Omoshi, she's more known as the Phoenix of Ice of the famous Phoenix's Paradise."

Inuyasha widened his eyes. "Wait a minute, what did you say her name was? Her real name?" he asked, afraid he might have misheard it.

"Maya," Rin repeated.

_Maya?!?_ he thought shocked. _Isn't that...that's...the name of Kagome's personal maid back then!!_ he recalled. "Where is this Maya now?"

"I don't know exactly...she didn't feel very well so I think she went back to the brothel to rest," she replied. "Are you going to look for her now?"

He nodded.

"Then can you give this back to her for me? I don't think she had meant to give it to me," she said as she handed over the small porcelain bottle.

The hanyou gladly took it and smiled. "I will give it back to her, don't worry," he assured the girl and put it, together with his golden plate back, into his red sleeve. "Will you two be okay?" he asked, with a slightly worried tone.

They smiled. "Don't worry, we'll be fine by ourselves," the one in green told him. "Good luck with finding the one you're looking for. I'm sure you two will meet eventually."

"Thank you," he responded with a firm nod and turned to leave.

  
_The Phoenix of Ice huh?_ he thought determined as he blended himself with the crowd of the streets again and headed into the direction of the famous brothel. _I'm sure everything will be solved once I meet her..._

* * *

Woops, another cliffhanger...sorry about that ^-^. I cannot seem to stop with cutting chapters off at the most suspending moments, please forgive me!! Anyway please leave a small review behind to tell me what you think ne? Thanks!! Look forward to the next chapter! Oh I'm still working on the next chapter so the update won't be as fast as this one, sorry!

**Next chapter: Found yet lost**

~*~  
Sorry! No teasers this time ^-^!!  
~*~

**Vocabulary:**

**ite!: **ouch!  
**onee-san:** (big) sister  
**daijoubu?: **are you okay?  
**gomen:** I'm sorry  
**demo:** but  
**kirei:** it's beautiful/pretty

~*~

**REPLIES ON REVIEWS:**

**LadyJynjr:** Sorry for the suspense, I'm trying to update as soon as possible ^-^!!

**Kaiyouu: **I'm glad you like the twists ^-^!

**Dragon Man 180:** Thanks! Hahaha indeed, Inuyasha would NEVER enter such place, or would he? *peeks at Inuyasha and quickly averts her gaze after receiving a cold-glare* Woops...okay I never said that...

**osuwariIYK: **Hahaha, well Kikyou is still going to appear in the story, but not in the way you're afraid of ^-^, so don't worry!

**michelle:** Thanks! I'll try to update as soon as possible. I hope this chapter isn't too boring, but I can assure you that the next chapter is going to be better!

**Inukamisashi: **Thanks!! I'll try!!

**Kyia Star:** Thanks so much for reviewing my other story, I really appreciate that ^-^!

**nekomoongirl: **Thank you very much ^-^! And sorry for the suspense hehe.

**Ks-Starshine: **I'm glad you like it! Thank you!

**Shrimple13:** Thanks!!

**Clearwater-Faerie: **You're welcome. And don't worry, Inuyasha will get her out of it, I promise ^-^!

**InuyashasBabe08: **Honestly, I suffer that kind of problems from time to time too ^-^. I'll get really frustrated when I can't find the right words to express what I want to write. Thanks for reviewing!

**Donna: **Thanks!

**Milk.shake: **Sorry for the suspense! And thanks for telling me that my English doesn't suck ^-^.

**kokoro: **Thanks for explaining and reviewing!!

**inuyasha's angle!:** Don't worry! I won't stop ^-^!  
~*~

Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~ 

Posted: 21 March 2004  
Last Edited: 21 March 2004  
Spelling check: YES


	15. Found yet lost

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**:  
Hi everybody!! Here I am again! Thanks for waiting! Hope you will enjoy this chapter as much as I have when writing it!

_Italic_: thoughts or emphasized words  
-- --: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~*~*~*~: time gap or change of perspective  
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**

-by Kittymui-

  
**Found yet lost**

  
**Previously:**  
_The Phoenix of Ice huh?_ he thought determined as he blended himself with the crowd of the streets again and headed into the direction of the famous brothel. _I'm sure everything will be solved once I meet her... _

_~*~*~*~_

  
Inuyasha stood in front of the illuminating red building and hesitated. It was one of the last places where he would search to find a girl, but since the only clue he had was pointing at this place, he had no other choice.

Suddenly a loud voice spoke from behind him.

"There's no way she's going to turn me down tonight!! Watch me fellow-youkai! Tonight, the Phoenix of Ice will become mine!!"

Inuyasha snapped out of it and turned to the voice. He scowled when he saw the youkai that spoke. It was an ugly and fat pig-youkai dressed in some very rich garments. It was certainly not pleasing to hear these confident and shameless words coming from someone like him. When Inuyasha looked around, he realized he wasn't the only one giving the pig a disgusted look. He and the others watched how the revolting youkai entered the brothel and shortly after that, they did the same.

~*~

Right after stepping pass the doorframe, a tap on his shoulder drew his attention and he turned around, only to find himself face to face with a young man of his age. 

He had long black hair tied into a low thin braid and was dressed in some very nice white haori and hakama with a light purple dragon embroidered on his left shoulder. He had navy-blue eyes and a dark purple cross/sparkle-shaped mark on the center of his forehead. "You don't seem a youkai searching for pleasure to me," he smiled.

"The same thing I can say about you...you are...human..." Inuyasha responded casually.

"Pardon me, I'm Bankotsu, the son of a well-known merchandiser of this city of Omoshi," he introduced himself with a polite bow. "I am indeed human. Tonight, I have come to witness the beauty of the famous Phoenix of Ice. I have heard a lot of stories about her, yet I have never had the chance to prove those stories with my very own eyes, hence I came."

"I assume the same reason goes for you as well?" he asked.

Inuyasha nodded. "I'd like to meet this Phoenix of Ice myself...because she might be someone I know," he explained. "Although deep in my heart I pray it isn't her at all."

"Ah, a possible friend of yours huh?" Bankotsu nodded understandingly. "But I don't think you should blame her, even if it is the one you're looking for."

The hanyou raised a brow at this. "Why?"

"Rumor says that the girl was captured and sold to this place against her own will and that's she's holding on until the day she'll be bought free," he explained.

Inuyasha smirked. "Well that shouldn't be too hard. If she's really that beautiful as rumors say she is then I doubt than anyone would hesitate to buy her free from this place."

"As a matter of fact, many lords and young men have...more than you can ever imagine," the human told him. "But the girl has refused every single one of them till now. From what I've heard she refuses anyone to own her and therefore wishes to buy her own freedom by herself."

"Keh! Working in a brothel and not wanting to be 'owned' is quite paradoxical huh?" the hanyou retorted.

Bankotsu looked at him with wide eyes. "You must be new here in this city, aren't you?"

"Fortunately, I don't live here. I'm only staying here for a short while," he responded.

"Then that quite explains the shortage in your knowledge," the human smiled. "This Phoenix of Ice we're talking about is namely just as pure and untouched as the Sacred Jewel at the Holy Shrine!"

Inuyasha widened his eyes. "You serious?"

Bankotsu nodded. "From what I've heard, nobody has so far been able to tempt the girl and persuade her to do more than pouring wine for them."

_Unbelievable..._ he thought to himself but his attention was soon drawn again.

"Look! There's the manager of this brothel, miss Kaya," Bankotsu said as he pointed at a woman who was descending the stairs from the upper floor.

Inuyasha followed the direction of Bankotsu's forefinger and saw the person he was talking about. "She owns and manages this place on her own??" he asked dumbfounded.

The human nodded. "Pretty powerful for a human women huh?"

He ignored the last remark and looked around. _Sheesh...this whole bunches of crowd...only to see one human girl??_ he frowned, realizing how crowded is had become on the ground floor.

  
Everyone lowered his or her voices and became quiet when the manager held up her hand to draw everyone's attention. "My dear gentlemen, I understand that some of you have traveled a long way only to meet the Phoenix of Ice, but I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you tonight. The Phoenix of Ice is unwell so she won't see anyone tonight. I'm terribly sorry," she announced.

A wave of wailings and curses echoed over the entire ground floor and the crowd started to dissipate. Most of the youkai made their way to the exit, while some remained and amused themselves with alternative choices.

  
Inuyasha frowned as the human next to him complained aloud. "Aw man!! Just when I thought of having to chance to meet her!!"

He turned to the human. "It can't be helped then. I'll just have to stay in this city until I can meet her," he decided.

Bankotsu's expression suddenly brightened up as an idea popped up in his mind. "Hey! Why don't you stay at my place! Us being able to meet here is some strange destiny right? I won't charge you, what you say?" he suggested.

"You sure about that?" the hanyou asked.

"No problem! You don't look like a burglar to me and I'm sure I can persuade my father to let you stay for the night." he smiled.

Inuyasha returned a smile. "If you insist, then I'll be happy to take the generous offer!"

"It's settled then! Let's go!" the human said, turning to leave.

Inuyasha also turned to follow his newly made human friend, but that was until a sharp and loud scream echoed through the entire building, coming from the upper floor.

"IYAA-A-A-A-A-A-A!!!!"

  
~*~

  
[FLASHBACK]

"Maya? What happened? You look pale my dear," Kaya asked worriedly as she saw the girl stumbling through the entrance of the building.

"I-I'm okay...I just..." she stuttered, barely standing straight.

The manager approached her and put a hand on her forehead. "Hmm, you're having an upcoming fever sweetheart. Why don't you go to your room and rest? I'll tell the guests that you're not available tonight."

"But I__"

"No buts Maya. I may be a cruel businesswoman who wants to earn a lot of money, but I won't let one of my favorite girls work while they're sick," she ordered.

Maya dropped her face. "Yes, miss Kaya," she obeyed and did as she was told.

[END FLASHBACK]

  
Maya breathed heavily as she lay on her bed. She had been in lying in bed for several hours now, yet she was still unable to fall asleep.

She kept thinking about how Rin's family got killed on the way to Omoshi. She knew she got separated from her real father and that Lord Takada adopted her. But things just didn't seem to fit. _How did I lose my mother? And my father? And Maya...? How did we get separated...?_ she pondered.

She buried her head in her pillow. _What's this awful feeling I'm having? Why? Why can't I remember anything about them...?_

  
Suddenly, an audible squeak pulled her out of her thoughts. She slowly lifted her head up from the pillow and turned to the origin of the noise. She realized that her bedroom-door was ajar and rubbed her eyes. "Miss Kaya...is that you...?" she asked weakly.

The door opened and revealed a fat and ugly pig-youkai with a wide smile on his face.

Maya calmly pushed herself up into a sitting position and covered herself with her white blanket. "W-who are you? Didn't the manager tell you and the rest that I'm unwell and that I won't receive anyone tonight?" she snarled, narrowing her eyes.

But the pig didn't reply her; instead, he entered the room without closing the door behind him.

"What are you doing? Get out!!" Maya ordered, slightly beginning to panic.

"Hehehe, there's not way I'm going to let myself be humiliated by some stupid excuse," he finally spoke. "When I say that I'm going to make the Phoenix of Ice mine tonight then there's no way I'm going to leave without proving my words first."

Maya widened her eyes as she saw the lust and determination in the pig-youkai's eyes when he said those words. Without second thought, she pushed her blanket off of her and climbed out of her bed. 

A strong claw shot out and grabbed her wrist before she could even take a step towards the open exit. "Come here you!!" he growled as he jerked at her wrist and flung her back onto her bed.

"No!! Get off of me!! Stop!!" she struggled as the pig moved over her body and reached out for her clothes.

In spite of her spastic struggling, the youkai still managed to grab her blue nightdress by its shoulders and with a fierce jerk he ripped the neckline further apart, revealing a bare shoulder.

A horrific expression was written all over Maya's face when she saw the look in his eyes that were pinned on her revealed skin. And then something snapped inside her.

"IYAA-A-A-A-A-A-A!!!!" she screamed with all her might and pushed the disgusting youkai off of her.

She hastily stumbled off of the bed and walked to another side of the bedroom, as far as possible from the bed. "D-don't...come any closer..." she panted as she held her torn garment together. She froze when she saw that the pig was now standing only several feet away from her with the same lustful look in his eyes and saliva coming out of the corners of his wide mouth.

_My legs...they won't move...t-this can't be happening...!!_ she screamed in her mind. _Somebody...anybody...please help me...!!!_

Suddenly, within a blink of an eye, a large and heavy object flew into the room and landed on the wooden floor between her and the pig-youkai, creating a loud crash and a thick cloud of dust.

Maya closed her eyes and coughed in reaction to the dust. When she opened her eyes again, she realized that the object was actually a large white fang-blade, thrown in front of her to block the pig from any further advance into her direction.

The pig on the other hand, had fallen backwards to the floor from the impact and was trembling in fear. "W-what the hell?!" he cursed wide-eyed.

  
Maya's gaze traveled from the blade to where it came from. Her eyes widened when she saw the person who threw it standing in the open doorway. Then suddenly, a vague name flashed in her very thoughts that moment. Her mouth automatically opened to say it aloud, but it ended up being a whisper instead. "I...Inu...yasha..."

Shortly after that, her vision blurred and her legs became numb, and she started to collapse to the floor. 

  
But the impact with the hard timber never came as Inuyasha dashed forward and caught her limp form. "Oi!! Shikari shiro!! O-oi!!" he cried worriedly as he jostled her gently. _Woah!! She's burning!!_ he realized shocked as he felt the high temperature radiating from her body. "Get a doctor!! Hayaku!!"

  
~*~*~*~

  
"Uhn..." Maya groaned as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Thank God you're awake...how are you feeling?" a voice asked from beside her.

Maya turned her head to the side as her blurred vision slowly went back to normal. "Y-you..." she whispered, recognizing the unique golden eyes.

He smiled. "Yeah, we meet again."

Then she decided to get up but a firm hand gently pushed her down to the bed again. "You shouldn't be moving right now, your fever had only subsided a couple of hours ago," he said with a caring voice.

"H-how long...have I been sleeping?" she inquired, rubbing her eyes.

"About nine hours now, it'll be dawn within several hours," he replied.

Suddenly Maya remembered what had happened last night and shot up into a sitting position. "W-where that disgusting pig-youkai?!" she asked with a panicking tone.

"Don't worry, nothing bad happened. I already kicked his ass for what he tried to do," he reassured her. "He won't be coming back for a looong time."

She let out a sigh of relief but suddenly became alerted again when she realized she was wearing a white nightdress instead of the blue one she wore last night.

The hanyou smiled. "Your manager had some girls change your clothes," he explained. But then he realized that the girl wasn't exactly worrying about that, as he saw no change in her cautious expression. "What's wrong?"

"Where...where is it??" she asked with a voice on the verge of desperation. "It should be in the sleeves of my previous garment, they didn't throw it away, did they?"

"I don't know. What are you looking for?" the hanyou asked startled.

"It's very important to me, I can't lose it...where is it??" she continued.

Then Inuyasha remembered something and reached into his sleeve. "Are you looking for this?" he asked, opening his hand and revealing the porcelain bottle with the crest.

She widened her eyes and immediately took it. "H-how...?" she asked bewildered. 

"A little girl named Rin told me to give it back to the Phoenix of Ice, she said she found it in the small bag of coins she gave her," he told her. "You...are the Phoenix of Ice???"

Maya hesitated a moment before nodding and dropped her gaze to the porcelain bottle.

Inuyasha watched how the girl examined the piece of art and decided that it was time to ask for some answers. "Rin told me that your real name is Maya," he began.

She looked up at him. "Y-yeah."

"Then...you know...Kagome, don't you?" he finally asked.

Maya widened her eyes. _How did he know my real name?_

"I take by your reaction that it's a 'yes', then can you please tell me where she is right now? She's the one who gave you that bottle, didn't she? Then you must know her whereabouts," he continued, sounding a bit desperate.

"Why are you looking for her?" she asked, a bit confused.

Inuyasha's eyes hardened. "It was a promise...I have to find her," he replied vaguely.

_A promise...? T-then...then he...could he be___ she thought surprised but her thoughts were cut off again as he fired another question. [**AN:** Kagome thinks he might be the one from her childhood.]

"Where's your mistress by the way? Didn't you two escape together that day?" [**AN:** Inuyasha meant his snobby fiancée.]

Maya only replied him with a puzzled look._...Eh?_

_Better not tell her that I'm the fiancé of her mistress..._ he decided inwardly. "I told you I was framed and that I got captured by Lord Takada, remember?"

She nodded.

"Well, after I helped you escape, I got caught again before I had the chance to escape. But then I heard that Lord Takada's daughter was missing, so I promised to find her in exchange for my freedom."

Her face almost instantly dropped when she heard this. _That's why he wanted to know the whereabouts of Kagome...he made the promise to my father to find me..._ she thought disappointed. _To think that he might be the one from my lost childhood...baka..._ she mentally scolded herself.

"Maya?" he called out her name as he saw she was spacing out.

She snapped out of it and turned to the hanyou. "Y-yeah?"

"Where is she now?" he repeated his previous question.   
[**AN: **He meant Kagome as the one from his childhood, and not his "snobby fiancé" of whom he doesn't know the name of. Basically nobody told him that Lord Takada's daughter is called "Kagome".]

_There's no way I'm going back and marry that jerk..._ Maya thought determined and decided that she'll impersonate her former maid until she had found the one she was looking for. "W-we got separated," she lied. "We were...attacked by bandits on our way...and..."   
[**AN:** Maya thought he meant Takada's daughter so she's is making up a story to explain why they got separated.]

"And what?? What happened then??" the hanyou asked impatiently.

She suddenly averted her gaze and held her heart as her chest started to hurt again; the same reaction she had after hearing Rin's story. "...I-I don't know...I fell of a cliff...and lost part of my memory...I don't know what happened to milady." she continued, broken in heavy pants.

Much to her own surprise, tears welled up in her eyes and suddenly she had begun to cry. "I-I lost my memory...I'm sorry...I really don't know...I__"

Before she could finish her sentence, she already found herself in the arms of the silver-haired hanyou. "Shhh...it's okay..." he comforted her as he gently stroke her hair.

Maya buried her head into his chest and cried her heart out. Yet she didn't even understand why she was crying, since she had made up most part of her story.   
[**AN:** That's what she thinks ^-^.]

_So that's why...she didn't recognize me...that's why I felt I knew her from a long time ago..._ Inuyasha thought to himself as he continued to comfort the girl.

  
After staying like that for a moment, Maya finally calmed down and pulled away from his embrace. "I-I'm sorry...I didn't mean__"

"It's okay," he cut her off as he created more space between them.

"W-what are you going to do now?" she asked, feeling a bit guilty for lying to him and making him unable to keep his promise to her father.

He stood up as determination was written all over his face. "I'm going to continue my search...I will never give up the promise."

Maya smiled awkwardly. On one hand, she admired this man for his determination but on the other hand, that'll mean that he'll never be able to keep that promise and retrieve his freedom since she is actually the one he's looking for. "I'm sure you'll be able to find her eventually, don't worry," she comforted him.

"Thank you," he smiled. "You should rest now, you haven't completely recovered yet."

She nodded and settled herself back on her pillow and under the covers.

Without saying anything else, the hanyou turned and started to leave.

~*~

After watching him close the door behind him, Maya shifted her position on her bed until her back was facing the door. _Why did I tell him that? Why did I give him false hope? _ she asked herself in her thoughts. _Do I actually want him to find me? ...I want to give him back his freedom...but..._

She turned around on her bed until she was facing the ceiling and closed her eyes. _No!! I won't go back!! Not until I've found him..._

With that decided, Maya slowly dozed off and fell into a deep sleep.

~*~

  
Inuyasha was deep in thoughts.

He could still feel the trembling maid against his chest when he walked down the hallway towards to stairs leading to the ground floor. He realized it was pretty ironic for him to comfort the girl when he was actually the one needing comfort and strength.

His heart almost completely crumbled when he heard that Kagome had encountered bandits on their way to the city. He was so close to finding out where she could be, yet fate had to be so cruel and made his first reliable clue in 12 years to suffer partial memory loss. _Chikusho!!_ he cursed inwardly.

But he was definitely not going to give up. Screw his snobby fiancée; the most important thing right now was to find Kagome and rescue her from whatever situation she is in. Yes, that's what he had decided.

But first, he had something else to take care of. He descended the red-carpeted stairs and headed straight towards the study-room of the brothel's manager.

  
*KNOCK KNOCK* he politely knocked on the door.

"Come in," a woman's voice responded from the other side.

  
"Ah! I was already planning to look for you after I finished these documents," the manager smiled as she put down the papers she was holding on her desk. She was wearing a red kimono with golden sakura petals embroidered on it and her face was freed from all the extensive make-up she wore last night, which made her look older than before. "Please, have a seat," she pointed at the chair in front of her desk.

Inuyasha went to his appointed seat and sat down.

"I wanted to thank you for saving Maya last night. Who would have thought that the pig would sneak upstairs to her room and do something like that," she told him. "I wouldn't know what to do if she got claimed like that against her will, especially when I had given her that privilege."

Inuyasha smiled understandingly. "I know what you mean. I too, am glad that I made it in time."

She returned a smile. "I sense that you didn't simply enter my study just to say those words."

"I wanted to talk about the conditions to free the girl," he responded.

The manager raised a brow. "So...you want to buy her freedom? Surely you know that she's the most precious treasure of this place, therefore I should remind you that the price to set her free isn't a low one."

Without saying anything, the hanyou took something out of his sleeve and put it on her desk.

The woman looked at it and realized it was a golden identity plate. She widened her eyes when she recognized the crest. "Y-you're...the son of Lord Inutaisho??" she asked stupefied.

He nodded. "Money isn't a problem."

"I-I understand, but the girl refuses anyone to buy her freedom because__"

"Because she doesn't want anyone to own her right?" he finished for her. "Don't worry, I'll buy her freedom for her, but the choice of how to spend it is hers and hers only." he assured her.

"I see..." she responded. "In that case, it won't be a problem...sir..."

"Call me Inuyasha, you don't have to add any honorific titles, miss Kaya," he smiled. "I'll expect her to hear the good news when she wakes up."

"Of course," the manager responded. "But aren't you going to tell her the good news yourself?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "I have to continue my search again. Goodbye."

With that said, he stood up and turned to leave.

"Wait! Can you not take her with you? The poor girl probably wouldn't know what to do with her newly acquired freedom." she halted him.

Inuyasha paused but didn't look over his shoulder to the manager. "I can't add another human under my protection, I'm sorry," he replied and left before Kaya could say anything else.

  
~*~

  
Maya slowly opened her eyes.

"Ah! You're awake again. Are you feeling better now?" a woman's voice asked.

Maya turned her head and realized it was the manager who spoke. "Oh...miss Kaya..." She slowly got up into a sitting position. "I'm sorry for what happened last night."

Kaya smiled. "You have nothing to apologize for. In fact, you don't even have to speak as my subordinate anymore."

Maya gave her a puzzled look _...Eh?_

"You're a free girl now. You can do what you want to do now," she explained.

She widened her eyes. "B-but how...who...?"

"The same man who saved you last night. He bought you back your freedom," the manager told her.

"Where is he now?" Maya asked.

"He left a couple of hours ago," she replied. "But before he left, he told me that it's your choice what you are going to do with your freedom."

Maya widened her eyes and gasped.

"I can't believe he's actually the son of the honorable Inutaisho. His kindness is truly remarkable...that Inuyasha...he__"

Before the manager could finish her sentence, the girl already jumped out of her bed and dashed out of her room.

~*~

While making her way to the entrance/exit of the building in her thin and white nightdress, she kept asking herself the same question over and over again. _Why am I running in the hope to find him...?_

Before she found an answer to it, she already found herself standing outside in the middle of the street.

Her gaze darted around and her face dropped when she was unable to find what she was looking for. _Baka Kagome...why do you think he would still be around after hearing that the one he's looking for isn't here?_

"Hey beauty! Longing for some sweet loving, aren't you?" a hissing voice suddenly spoke.

Maya snapped back into reality and realized that it was a lizard-youkai who spoke. And he was walking into her direction with a dangerous look in his eyes. She was ready to dash into the brothel again but the lizard was faster and grabbed her shoulder before she had even moved an inch.

  
"Get your dirty claws off of the girl!!!" a loud growl sounded from a distance.

Maya looked over her shoulder to where the voice came from. A wave of relief rose inside her when her eyes met the familiar golden ones. The silver-haired inu-youkai was standing a couple of meters behind her and was walking closer to them.

"Mind your own business hanyou!!" the lizard snapped.

Inuyasha smirked. "I'm afraid this IS my business. You see...from this day on the girl will not be known as the Phoenix of Ice anymore. She has now become a free person."

"And how does a hanyou like yourself fit in this fairytale?" the lizard mocked.

He unsheathed Tetsusaiga and raised it to the youkai's neck over Maya's shoulder. "Because I'm the one who bought her free," he snarled. "Now take your filthy hands off of her shoulders or I might do something I won't regret!!"

The lizard immediately released Maya's shoulders and dashed away without sparing them another glance.

Maya slowly turned around tot he one who saved her life for the fourth time already. "A-arigatou..."

Inuyasha flashed her a smile. "You're welcome. Sorry about the possessive act, I hope I didn't scare you."

She shook her head. "Iie...not at all," she smiled. "But...miss Kaya told me you left several hours ago...why are you__"

"How about you? You are unwell, yet you hastily ran out here without dressing yourself properly against the temperature, why is that?" he bounced back the question.

"Well...I...euh..." she stammered, unable to tell him that she was actually hoping to find him.

"Your former manager asked me why I won't take you with me while continuing my search and I thought about it after I refused," he explained, interrupting her.

Maya widened her eyes. _...Eh?_

The hanyou smiled at her. "Ready to start our journey in search of Kagome together?" he asked.

His smile made her forget all her worries and she nodded before she even knew it. "Uhn!" she returned a smile.

_With his help, I'll surely be able to find my promise..._

[**AN:** Okay, in case you're confused again. Inuyasha still doesn't know that his fiancée (Takada's daughter), Maya and Kagome are actually one and the same person. And Maya (Kagome), doesn't know that Inuyasha is actually searching for her as her childhood friend and not as the daughter of Lord Takada (she's suffering memory loss remember?). So in short, what Inuyasha knows right now is that Maya is the maid of his snobby fiancée and the former maid of his childhood friend. And Maya doesn't remember Inuyasha as her childhood friend so she thinks that his "promise" is the one he made with Lord Takada. Hmm if I continue, I'm going to repeat myself again hahaha.]

* * *

Hope you liked this chapter ^-^. I have to admit that I get confused sometimes as well by this plot I'm using. I better not forget what the characters of my story does or doesn't know or else I might be writing an inconsistent story hahaha. Please look forward to the next chapter!! 

Oh by the way, the coming 2 weeks I'll be very busy because it's the end of the term again. I'm having 1 huge deadline and 2 tests, so please forgive me if I'm not updating for a while!!  


**  
Next chapter: And their journey began...**

~*~  
\\"What's the matter?"//

\\"Ah...nothing...it's just that...I was wondering how you always managed to be there whenever I'm in a pinch."//

\\"Yeah, maybe you were somehow meant to attract trouble and I was meant to get you out of it."//  
~*~

**Vocabulary:**

**iya!:** "no!" or "don't!"  
**shikari shiro: **"hang in there" or "snap out of it". This is the informal male speech version of "shikari shite".  
**hayaku:** quick/hurry  
**chikusho:** damn it  
**arigatou:** thank you  
**iie:** no

~*~

**REPLIES ON REVIEWS:**

**miko**, **inuyashasgirlforever**, **Michelle**, **ioka**, **Toya:** Thanks!

**lightmiko: **Wow! Thank you very much!! I hadn't really thought about that expression but now that you mentioned it ^-^.

**osuwariIYK: **Haha sorry for the cliffhanger again. About Kikyou, well, you can't really say she's going to be evil, but she ain't gonna be nice either hahaha ^-^. 

**Alice: **Thank you very much for your compliments ^-^!

**Clearwater-Faerie:** Hahaha exactly...he's just dense I guess. But then again, if he had been honest towards Maya, he would find out that Maya is actually Kagome and that their meeting in the dark room was just a misunderstanding ^-^.

**Ks-Starshine:** Hehehe, another twist in the story, hope you still like it. I guess I'm just too cruel to let them meet and recognize each other just like that. Memory loss isn't really something to take lightly don't you agree ^-^. In short, they won't be reunited until I say so...mwuhahahaha ^o^.

**Dragon Man 180:** Euhm...I think about 4-5 chapters, but that really depends on whether I'm going to let the next chapters be long or short. Thanks for reviewing!

**LadyJynjr: ***peeks from behind a rock* euhm...have you calmed down yet...?

**captain psycho: **Haha don't worry, if I'm not having tests or deadlines I usually update at least 1 chapter a week. Thanks for reviewing!!

**Kagome200315: **Hahaha I couldn't possible do that, it would be too cruel of me ^-^.

**nekomoongirl: **Is this soon enough? Hahaha, sorry in advance for the delay of the coming chapters (tests and deadlines, you know the drill).

**Rhexi:** Hahaha yeah I completely know what you mean by suffering the suspense as a reader. I'm glad you're getting used to them ^-^, I wouldn't want my readers to hate me for using cliffies that much.

**Shrimple13: **Yup they're actually going to travel together from now on, but they're still too "far away" from each other if you know what I mean hehehe ^-^.

**Alice:** Yeah you got that right hehe, but she won't have to do it, don't worry. Thanks for reviewing!

**Kyia: **Hahahaha, I COULD have continued ^-^ but I just can't resist the lovely cliffies ^o^.  
~*~

Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~ 

Posted: 26 March 2004  
Last Edited: 26 March 2004  
Spelling check: YES


	16. And their journey began

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**:  
Thanks for waiting everybody! Here's another new chapter! Hope you will like it! I know I've said it before but I'll say it again, the coming two weeks, I'll be spending a lot of time studying so no quick updates until then ^-^. Anyway, enjoy reading!!

_Italic_: thoughts or emphasized words  
-- --: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~*~*~*~: time gap or change of perspective  
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**

-by Kittymui-

  
**And their journey began...**

  
**Previously:**  
The hanyou smiled at her. "Ready to start our journey in search of Kagome together?" he asked.  
His smile made her forget all her worries and she nodded before she even knew it. "Uhn!" she returned a smile.  
_With his help, I'll surely be able to find my promise..._

  
~*~*~*~

  
"Thank you for taking care of me all this time," Maya said as she made a polite bow to the manager.

She and Inuyasha were leaving the city today to start their journey and the manager of the brothel came to the citygates to see them off.

"Don't be silly girl, no need to thank me. I should be thanking you instead for helping me with my goal to make a fortune," the manager smiled and turned to Inuyasha. "You better protect her well or me and the girls will never forgive you," she warned him jokingly.

The hanyou smiled. "Don't worry, I'll will."

After he said that, they both turned to the gate and walked away.

[AN: Kagome is wearing a plain white dress with a V-shaped neckline. And Inuyasha is wearing his usual outfit ^-^.]

  
~*~

  
Their journey started in silence, as both of them felt extremely awkward, being in each other's company.

_Who would have thought that I would find the maid sooner than the lady? And now we're actually traveling together to search for her..._ Inuyasha thought amused. _Although I kind of hoped that the girl WAS Kagome instead of her maid, I shouldn't be complaining too much...since I had found a first real clue in twelve long years..._

  
Maya, on the other hand, was deep in thoughts as well. _ I don't know him very well, yet why do I have the felling that I've known him my whole life?_ she mused. _Back then, I even agreed to travel with him before I've really thought about it...I trusted him automatically and unconditionally...I wonder why..._ She slowly turned to peek at Inuyasha, who was just staring out in front of him. _Maybe...because he's saved my life for four times already..._ she smiled inwardly.

Deep in her heart, she knew this was not the true reason, but since she couldn't explain it otherwise, she'd decided to stick to this one for now.

  
Inuyasha felt her eyes on him and turned to look at Maya. "What's the matter?"

Maya snapped out of it and turned her eyes back to the path again. "Ah...nothing...it's just that...I was wondering how you always managed to be there whenever I'm in a pinch."

He smiled. "Yeah, maybe you were somehow meant to attract trouble and I was meant to get you out of it."

She frowned. "Hey! What do you mean by that?! I don't get into trouble THAT often!!"

"Yeah well, each time we meet, you always seem to have gotten yourself in a fix, there's no denying it girl," he grinned.

"Yeah yeah rub it it..." Maya scowled, folding her arms together and turning her gaze as far away as possible from her companion.

  
~*~

"Maya!!" his voice called.

"Save it! I don't need anymore mean remarks coming from you!!" she yelled back without stopping.

"Maya!! Come back here!!!" he yelled again, sounding extremely serious.

This time she felt the warning tone in his voice and turned around to Inuyasha, who had stopped walking several minutes ago as he felt an incoming danger. Just when she was about to run to him, something fell from above and landed behind her with a small thud. A claw grabbed her by her neck and pulled her backwards to a firm chest.

"You better stay still love or I might ruin your pretty little face," a sly voice breathed in her ear from behind.

Inuyasha scowled. "You!" he growled, recognizing the lizard from several days ago.

"Don't come any closer, or I'll kill her!!" the lizard threatened.

"What do you want?" the hanyou snarled.

"You humiliated me in front of everyone back in the city so now it's payback time!" the lizard yelled, causing Maya to wince.

"Let her go! I'm the one you want then!" he reasoned.

He smirked. "No way...this time, I'm going to get what I want, and I want the Phoenix of Ice," he said as he lowered his head to the girl's neck.

"You bastard!!" Inuyasha cursed.

  
~*~

Maya was scared at first when she felt the lizard's breath on her neck, but then she remembered Inuyasha's remark earlier.

_"Yeah, maybe you were somehow meant to attract trouble and I was meant to get you out of it."_

  
Without second thought, she swung her elbow as hard as she could backwards.

"Arck!!" the lizard cried in pain as her elbow hit his stomach right-on and immediately released her from his grip. "You b__" he cursed but before he could finish, he realized that the girl had jumped aside and that the hanyou was charging at him with his claw first.

"Take this!! Sankon Tessou!!" Inuyasha cried as he slashed at him.

With a loud shriek, the lizard fell backwards to the grass and didn't get up again.

Inuyasha swung his claw to get rid of the blood and turned to Maya. "Hey, not bad for a girl!" he grinned.

The maid smirked in reply. "Give me a bow and some arrows and I might surprise you even more."

"I know..." the hanyou mumbled with a smile, remembering the Archery Contest.

"What was that?"

"Oh nothing!" he quickly replied and looked up at the sky. "We better hurry, or we might not be able to reach the next town before nightfall."

"Where are we going exactly?" she asked.

"We're heading south towards a nearby village that I've passed before arriving in Omoshi. We'll get you some weapons and some clothes and then we'll continue our journey further south," the hanyou explained.

Maya tilted her head a little. "Why south?"

"I already searched most parts of the northern regions of the Western Lands. So we'll continue our search in the southern regions."

"Oh...okay," she understood and together they set out for the South.

  
~*~*~*~*~

  
"Just you wait! From this day on, this Maya won't need anyone's help anymore to get herself out of trouble!" she smiled confidently as she lifted up the black bow she just acquired, as they walked out of the weapon shop.

"Keh! The less I have to worry when we encounter dangerous youkai," the hanyou retorted. "Just don't cry out for my help when they break your fragile little bow!"

Maya quickly walked in front of Inuyasha and turned to him. "Aha!!" she grinned with a mischievous expression on her face.

Inuyasha stopped walking and frowned. "What?"

"You're just sulking because I don't need your protection anymore," she chuckled.

"Feh!" he spat.

Maya's grin grew wider. "You're not denying it, so it must be true!!"

Without replying her, Inuyasha walked pass her and headed towards the exit of the village. And Maya followed with a big smile on her face as she repositioned her black quiver on her back and lowered her hand that was holding her bow.

  
~*~

  
Inuyasha was still sulking, even after leaving the village and entering a forest. He had quickened his pace and refused to walk next to Maya.

But then suddenly a suspicious rustling of leaves caught his ears and he stopped walking. "Maya?" he called, turning around.

He became alarmed when he couldn't find her behind him. "Maya! Where are you?!" he yelled. _Kuso!! Me and my stupid pride!!_ he scolded himself for sulking and being careless.

"Aw...your little companion left you all alone?" a girl's voice spoke out of nowhere.

Inuyasha's eyes darted around, searching for the speaker. "Who's there?! Show yourself!!" he growled.

A figure appeared from behind a tree and stepped into the sunlight. "What's the matter dogboy? Feeling insecure?" It was a girl with short black hair and dark eyes with thick pink eyelashes and bloody lips. She was wearing a short and tight, sleeveless black dress that didn't even reach her knees and showed an awful lot of skin. She carried a short sword around her waist and was holding small red comb in her hand.

"Who the hell are you!?" the hanyou inquired.

The girl bowed gracefully. "Yura is my name," she introduced herself before straightening back up. "And I've come to save your beautiful hair."

Inuyasha raised a brow. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Yura suddenly disappeared in a flash and reappeared again, right behind him. "Aww...look how careless you are with your beautiful hair. If I add them to my collection I'm sure I can make them more soft and shiny," she smirked as she reached out to touch the silver strands.

"Don't you dare touch my hair bitch!!" Inuyasha cried as he turned around and swung his claw at the girl. He widened his eyes when he hit nothing but air. _What the...?!?_

He was even more surprised when he couldn't retract his claw. As he looked more closely at his wrist, he realized that strands of black threads were causing the local paralysis. _The girl's a hair-demoness!!_ he realized alarmed.

Just when he was about to reach out his other claw to free his wrist from the threads, a swarm of hair suddenly came out of nowhere and hit him straight on.

It pushed his body up to the sky and changed its direction to disappear behind the trees again. But Inuyasha didn't fall back to the earth; instead, he was forced to remain in the air by four groups of threads, each tied around each of his four limbs.

"Chikusho!!" he cursed aloud, finding himself in such defenseless situation. 

"Hihihi," the girl giggled as she appeared behind the hanyou again. This time, she was standing on several black threads of hair in the mid-air like a rope-dancer. "This won't hurt dogboy," she reassured him as she slipped her comb between her breast and her garment and unsheathed her sword.

Inuyasha struggled with all his might. "You bitch..."

"You better hold still, or I might not be able to get a clean cut and stain your gorgeous silver hair with your blood," Yura warned as she raised her sword.

_Damn it all!!_ he cursed inwardly as he continued to struggle without much success.

  
Suddenly, the sound of an arrow flying through the air could be heard.

*FWWWIISSHHHHH*

Followed by a clash and the sound of iron hitting the earth.

Inuyasha jerked his head aside to see what had happened and realized that the hair-demoness wasn't holding her sword anymore. He saw that her eyes were fixed on something below them and so he followed her gaze.

His eyes widened. "Maya!!"

The girl was standing with the pose of an archer who had just fired an arrow. "Get away from Inuyasha or my next arrow will be hitting your lovely comb!!" she threatened as she pulled another arrow out of her quiver.

The hair-demoness widened her eyes. "You annoying brat! How did you__"

"I read about your kind before," Maya cut her off as she notched her arrow to her bow and pointed it at her. "Your original form is a red comb used to comb the hair of the deceased, but you were displeased with that and became a youkai instead. So if I destroy that comb...there will be nothing left of you."

Yura expression immediately darkened after hearing this and pulled out her comb again. "I will NEVER lost to a mere human!!" she cried and sent a swarm of hair towards the girl below.

"Maya!!" Inuyasha cried worriedly. Much to his surprised, the girl dodged the attack with ease as she rolled aside over the grass. He watched how she managed to point the arrowhead at the hair-demoness again within several seconds and sent it flying towards the youkai.

The way her hair billowed in the air when she straightened herself up and the determination in her eyes reminded him of the first time he saw her during the Archery Contest. _Amazing..._ he thought to himself. Strangely enough, it reminded him of Kagome again, but he quickly shook it off. _That's Maya you stupid! Kagome's personal maid remember!?_

He was abruptly pulled out of his thoughts again when he heard Maya call out to him. "Inuyasha! Hold still! I'm going to cut those threads with my arrows!!" she cried, aiming an arrow at him.

Inuyasha did as he was told but widened his eyes when he saw that Yura had secretly sent a strand of hair to the the girl's ankle. "Watch out!!" he warned but it was too late when he heard her gasp in pain. 

The thread tightened around her ankle and pulled at it, causing her to fall to her side.

But Maya ignored the pain and aimed for the group of hair again that was tied around one of Inuyasha's wrists. Without hesitating, she fired her arrow and sent it flying through the air. 

The arrow didn't miss its target and freed one of the hanyou's wrists. 

Inuyasha quickly slashed through the other groups of annoying hair and within seconds, he found himself standing on the ground again.

When he turned to Maya, he realized that Yura had reappeared again and was pulling the girl closer to her over the floor by the thread around her ankle. He immediately unsheathed Tetsusaiga and changed at the hair-demoness. "Die!!!" he cried and aimed for the red comb in her hand. 

Inuyasha's attack caught Yura off guard and the comb snapped in two.

The hair-demoness widened her eyes. "No...this can't be___" without finishing her sentence she became dust in a flash.

Inuyasha sheathed his blade and quickly turned to Maya on the floor. Much to his surprise, the girl had started to laugh.

"Hehehe, I guess I'm not the only one attracting trouble here," she smiled.

Inuyasha frowned. "Where the hell were you earlier?!" he asked with a growl, sounding angry to hide the fact that he was almost worried to death a moment ago.

The girl reached into her sleeve. "I'm sorry for worrying you," she apologized as she pulled out something and handed it to him. "I saw this thing at the armory this afternoon and I pondered the whole day whether I should buy it. I went back to the village earlier to buy it. I'm sorry..."

The hanyou dropped his gaze. It was a flat and circular white jade stone with beautiful carvings on it and a braided red string was attached to it.

"You can either carry it around your waist by tying it to your sash using the red string or decorate your sword by attaching it to the hilt," Maya explained. "It's my way of thanking you for saving my life and helping me whenever I'm in trouble."

His eyes softened but then he scowled again. "Baka! You could have gotten yourself into trouble!! Running off alone like that!!"

A small smile appeared on her face. "If that happens...you'll be there to get me out of trouble again...won't you?"

"Feh!" the hanyou spat as he quickly looked away to hide the blush that was about to appear on his cheeks.

Maya's face dropped when she realized that the gift was still lying in her own palm. "Y-you don't like it? I'm sorry...I could go back and__"

Before she could finish, the hanyou had already taken it from her hand. "I never said that!" he argued and put it into his sleeve.

She smiled and decided that she had been lying on the grass long enough. However, she forgot about her injured ankle and a surge of pain ran through her leg as she tried to stand up. "Ite!" she winced.

"Are you all right?" Inuyasha asked worriedly.

"M-my ankle..." she replied, dropping her gaze to her feet.

He shifted his gaze to her ankle and realized it was bleeding. He pulled a white cloth out of his sleeve and motioned for her to sit down.

"Gomen nasai..." she suddenly apologized as she sat down.

"Baka, what are you apologizing for?" he responded as he started to bandage her ankle.

"I'm going to slow your down with my injury..."

He finished bandaging and finally turned to look at her. "Don't worry about it. If it weren't for you back there, I might have lost my head by now," he smiled.

Maya felt relieved to hear this and returned a smile as she slowly stood up again.

"All right! Climb on my back, I'll carry you until you've recovered,' the hanyou suggested as he knelt down before her.

"B-but that's__" she wanted to argue but was cut off when he spoke again. 

"Maya, I won't ask it again," he told her.

Knowing that there weren't any alternatives, she obediently climbed onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Don't mention it," he replied, looping his arms around her legs and standing up. He figured he shouldn't jostle her too much since her wound might open up again, so he decided to stay on the ground for now.

Maya repositioned her bow around her shoulder and leaned her head onto Inuyasha's back. _It's that warm, nostalgic feeling again..._ she thought to herself.

  
Little did she know that the hanyou was thinking about the same thought as they continued their journey to the south on foot.

* * *

I know, I know...nothing special happened in this chapter. Hey but that's how stories are, right? You can't actually expect every single chapter to be extremely fluffy or full of emotions. Anyway I'll try to update as soon as possible, but I cannot guarantee anything okay? But I can promise that from the next chapter on, it will get quite interesting ^-^. Please look forward to the next chapter!!

**Next chapter: Unexpected reunion**

~*~  
\\_Please don't be so nice to me..._//

\\_I wonder if I'm pushing her too hard with this journey...it's not like she has the obligation to search for her mistress with me..._//  


\\"Hold on Maya!! Please don't die on me!!" he cried and looked around them. He stopped when his eyes caught a shrine not very far away. "There!!" he said aloud. He quickly scooped up the girl bridal style and dashed into the direction of the shrine.//  
~*~

**Vocabulary:**

**kuso: **shit/damn  
**chikusho:** damn it  
**baka:** idiot  
**gomen nasai:** I'm sorry  
**ite: **ouch

~*~

**REPLIES ON REVIEWS:**

**osuwariIYK: **Thanks for reviewing. Haha well using a pig will magnify the contrast between ugly and pretty ^-^.

**Rhexi: **Thank you very much, I'm so glad to hear you love my story ^-^. Haha personally I don't think myself to be such a great author but thanks anyway.

**Dragon Man 180: **Hahaha I hope you're still following the plot. Thanks for reviewing!

**The Turmoil Twins: **Hahaha thanks for the review. I think I understand what you're trying to say. But I won't let them reunite that way, don't worry ^-^ for I, am a master of twists! *evil grin*

**Ks-Starshine: **Thanks!! Honestly I'm quite having a hard time keeping in mind what kind of twists and turns I've used ^-^.

**brazil: **Pfew...I'm glad you understood the plot ^-^ thanks for reviewing!

**Clearwater-Faerie:** Hahaha yeah, you're absolutely right. He IS dense, if not stupid hahaha. *receives death glare coming from the hanyou* Gulp...never mind...

**Hana-maru285: **Hey don't worry about it ^-^! It's not that I expect readers to review every single chapter, but it's great to know how many are actually reading it.

**Chibi-Call: **Thanks!

**LadyJynjr: **Thanks! My compliments for understanding the storyline ^-^ because even I myself got confused after writing it hahaha. Hmm Miroku and Sango? I haven't written about them for a long time now have I? Don't worry, they'll be back hehe.

**berty: **You're right about the mistake, thanks for telling me ^-^ I've corrected it.

**Inukamisashi: **Thanks for reviewing!!

**LiLsTuBbOrNgRl:** Thanks! I hope you still understand the storyline ^-^

**michelle:** Thanks! Don't worry, it won't take too long before Kagome remembers him again ^-^ but then again...I AM a master of twists *grins* hehehe. Anyhow, just wait 2 more chapters ^-^!!

**nekomoongirl:** Thank you very much!!!

**Kyia: **Hehehe I can't wait either. I just hate it when I'm too slow with writing my chapters hahaha. Pretty pathetic huh?

**Guardian-of-the-night: **Thanks!!

~*~

Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~ 

Posted: 2 April 2004  
Last Edited: 2 April 2004  
Spelling check: YES


	17. Unexpected reunion

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**:  
Hi everybody!! Yes I am very busy and I shouldn't be updating chapters while having 2 tests coming up. But still, I didn't want you all to wait for a very long time because then you might forget about this story ^-^. Enjoy reading!!

_Italic_: thoughts or emphasized words  
-- --: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~*~*~*~: time gap or change of perspective  
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**

-by Kittymui-

  
**Unexpected reunion**

  
**Previously:**  
Maya repositioned her bow around her shoulder and leaned her head onto Inuyasha's back. _It's that warm, nostalgic feeling again..._ she thought to herself.  
Little did she know that the hanyou was thinking about the same thought as they continued their journey to the south on foot.

  
~*~*~

  
Several months have passed since they left Omoshi. They had officially entered the Southern regions of the Western Lands and decided to stay in a small road-inn for the night.

"Ne Inuyasha?" Maya turned to the hanyou, who was looking out of the window, as she put down her quiver and bow on the floor against the wall of their bedroom.

"Hm?" he responded, without turning around.

"Are you...still that determined to find Kagome?" she asked, sitting down on the soft mattress of the bed with white sheets and covers.

The hanyou finally turned away from the window and looked at her. "Yes, I told you before. I will never give up," he replied as determined as always.

"I see," Maya said as she dropped her gaze to her feet. _Why did I ask him that?_ she wondered. _Why don't I just tell him the truth?_ But she shook it off again. _I will tell him eventually...after I've found my promise._ she decided.

Yet, the longer they traveled together, the guiltier she felt for lying to him. She knew it was selfish of her, but it was either his freedom or her happiness. Inside, she just hoped he would understand her someday if she really were to tell him the truth.

Her thoughts were cut off when Inuyasha spoke again. "It's getting late, we better get some rest," he suggested and walked to a nearby wall. 

Maya nodded and gathered some things. "I'm going to take a shower first," she said and left the bedroom.

  
~*~

  
Inuyasha watched the girl close the door behind her before sitting down on the wooden floor and leaning his back against the white wall with his sheathed sword resting against his shoulder. His eyes slowly traveled to the black bow and quiver that were resting against the wall from across him. _I'll never give up huh?_ he mused as his determination wavered with the minute. _It would be nice if I found another useful clue again leading to her... I wonder when this journey will end..._ he pondered, staring at Maya's equipment. _What will I do...when I find her?_

_You keep your promise of course, you idiot!_ the voice in his head replied annoyed.

He sighed. _How am I to confront her with the fact that I'm engaged to another girl? _

_She will understand your reasons, she always have. Either you explain things to Lord Takada and keep your promise or break the promise by marrying his daughter. It's your choice. But whatever you choose, you should keep in mind that it's your responsibility to find them first._

_Find them first huh?_ Inuyasha thought to himself. He had to admit that his conscience was right this time and decided he should leave the brooding until after he found one of the two.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when the bedroom-door opened and an overwhelming fresh scent of spring filled the room. It was Maya who had entered, dressed in a soft blue yukata and her long raven-black hair tied in a simple loose knot to keep it dry.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and inhaled. _What a nice and soothing scent..._ he thought relaxed. 

"Inuyasha?" he heard her call his name.

"Hm?" he responded, opening his eyes. He was just in time to watch how her hair cascaded on her shoulder after she untied the knot on the back of her head.

"You've been sleeping on the floor every single night, why don't we swap places for once?" she offered.

"Don't worry about that. There's no way I'm going to let a girl sleep on the floor. And besides, I'm already used to it," he answered with a smile. "Now go to sleep, it's going to be a long day tomorrow."

The girl nodded reluctantly and settled herself under the covers. "Oyasumi, Inuyasha."

"Oyasumi."

  
~*~*~ that night ~*~*~

  
Maya slowly opened her eyes. She couldn't sleep somehow. Her eyes traveled from the pale blue ceiling to the hanyou sitting on the floor against the wall near the bed. 

She studied his calm features that were illuminated by the moonlight through the window. _He's really nice..._ she thought. _Why isn't he the one whom I'm betrothed to? Why..._ she hesitated before finishing her thought. _Why isn't he the one I'm looking for...?_

_Now you're being greedy Kagome._ her conscience told her. _It's already unfair to use him to find the promise you're looking for._

_I'm not using him! We're just helping each other...that's all! _she argued.

_You're not being honest to yourself Kagome. Surely you've not forgotten that you're the one he's looking for._

Maya dropped her face. _I know...I know that..._

With that thought, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep, as she didn't want to think about it anymore.

  
~*~ the next day ~*~

  
As they walked over a large grassy open field, Maya, wearing a white haori and navy blue hakama and carrying her black equipments, was still being haunted by her guilty feelings. She snapped back into reality when she heard Inuyasha's voice.

"Are you okay? You don't look so well," he asked with a worried tone.

"Y-yeah...I'm fine..." she replied awkwardly.

"You sure you don't want to rest for a bit? I can carry you if you like," he offered.

She turned to him. "No really...I'm fine..." she forced a reassuring smile on her face. _Please don't be so nice to me..._ she pleaded inwardly as she turned her eyes back to the path again.

  
~*~

  
Inuyasha noticed her strange behavior but decided not to ask any more questions as he knew she must have her own reasons for not telling him right away and acting like that.

_I wonder if I'm pushing her too hard with this journey..._ he wondered. _I__t's not like she has the obligation to search for her mistress with me...__I could bring her back to the mansion and continue the journey on my own...yet...why can't I imagine the journey without her by my side...?_

He glanced at the raven-haired girl out of he corner of his eyes. _She had been enthusiastic about it until recently...I wonder why...? Has she grown tired of searching? Of me?_ He turned his attention to the road again. _Should I...ask her? But...I don't want her to leav___

Inuyasha quickly shook it off as he became afraid of what thoughts his mind would produce next if he continued.

_You're not starting to have feelings for the girl, are you?_ his conscience suddenly asked.

Inuyasha was shocked by the sudden accusation. _I'm not..._ he replied, becoming a little bit confused.

_You don't sound very persuasive, Inuyasha._

_I don't...okay? I'm not forgetting my promise to Kagome...never!!_ he snapped.

_All right all right...if you say so...just don't blame me when you've made wrong decisions. And by the way...you might want to snap back into reality again instead of talking to me, because someone's calling you and I don't think you're going to like the situation you're in. _

  
"Inuyasha!! Snap out of it!!"

He was abruptly pulled back into reality by Maya's voice and he looked around them. His conscience was right, he didn't like the situation he found himself in.

He and Maya were completely surrounded by snakes.

Most of them were thin and about 5 feet long and were brown of color. But there was one snake that stood out; its body white as snow, its head similar to that of a cobra and eyes of an albino. It was 3 times longer and thicker than the rest and unlike all the other plain-colored snakes; this one had a black striped pattern on its back.

"You've got a lot of nerve to enter this territory of mine," the white snake hissed, raising its head above all the others.

Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga and turned to Maya, who had already readied an arrow on her bow. "Looks like we'll have to fight our way out of this one."

Maya nodded. "They're poisonous. We better watch out for their teeth and the liquid coming out of their mouths."

They both positioned themselves until they were almost leaning back-to-back and waited for the first strike of their opponent.

  
They didn't have to wait long before the first brown snake of the circle jumped charged forward and jumped into the air towards Maya with its teeth ready to dug into her flesh. But Maya reacted fast and fired her arrow at the snake's head, pinning it to the earth again. 

The other snakes saw an opening when she reached for another arrow in her quiver and charged at her.

This time, Inuyasha positioned himself in front of Maya and swung his blade horizontally, slicing every single snake apart that had attempted the counter.

  
If snakes had brows, you would certainly have been able to see the scowl on the white snake's face. "Attack!!! Kill them!!!" he hissed angrily.

Suddenly, random snakes from the circle charged at the two, aiming to get at least one snake through their perfect defense and injuring one of them.

Maya and Inuyasha withstood the random surprise attacks pretty well with their teamwork, but that was until the archer ran out of her arrows.

In a split second, she had to decided what to do next: watch the hanyou's back and fence away the snakes with her bow or gather some arrows that she had already fired and hope that the hanyou would be able to defend himself in the meantime.

_I can do this..._ she told herself as she made her decision and tightened her grip on her black bow.

  
~*~

  
Inuyasha frowned as he realized that his companion had run out of arrows.

_ I can't protect her with this disadvantageous situation we're in._ he concluded and quickly made a decision. "Maya, I'll open a path for you. When I say 'run', you run as fast as you can out of this circle and bring yourself into safety, understand?" he whispered over his shoulder.

Maya widened her eyes. _No way..._ she gasped disbelievingly in her mind. But before she could even argue, Inuyasha already raised his blade high up in the air. "RUN!!!" he cried and swung it downwards to the earth, sending several blades of light into one direction.

The blades of light crushed every single snake on its way and opened a path, just like Inuyasha said he would and Maya didn't hesitate before running towards the part of the circle that became free of snakes.

But as she ran, her mind kept screaming at her that it wasn't the right thing to do, leaving Inuyasha behind. And so she turned over her shoulder to look at him, only to realize that one of the snakes was about to charge at the hanyou from behind. _He knew this was going to happen, yet he still decided to do this for the sake of my safety..._ she thought to herself as she began to feel ashamed of herself. _Why am I always the one needing protection from others...?? I don't want it...!! If he dies because of me, I'll hate myself for the rest of my life!!_

Her eyes quickly darted around and stopped when she saw one of her arrow sticking into the air above the grass. But what she also saw, was the white snake, which had apparently foreseen what she was planning to do, making its way towards the same arrow.

_No time for hesitation!!_ she decided and sprinted towards the arrow. She quickly pulled it out of the earth and notched it to her bow.

She winced when she felt a surge of pain coming from her upper left arm but she didn't care. 

Before her arm became completely numb and her vision blurry, Maya quickly used the last bit of the perseverance she had and fired her arrow.

  
*FWWIIISSSHHHHH*

  
~*~

  
When he swung Tetsusaiga and opened a path, Inuyasha only thought about one thing.

_As long as she is safe..._

He realized something was wrong when he saw the panicked look in Maya's eyes as she looked back at him over her shoulder. From the quick shift in her line of vision, he knew something was about to surprise-attack him from behind.

When he turned around, he realized it was already too late to parry the attack without getting bitten by the snake. 

At that moment, he felt a sudden breeze graze pass his shoulder, and the next thing he knew was the snake being pinned down to the earth about 2 yards away in front of him.

His eyes widened when he saw what had pinned the reptile down and he immediately turned around.

  
It was indeed Maya who had saved him, but something was wrong. 

Her face looked paler than usual and her eyes had become hazy.

Inuyasha's eyes traveled from her face to her left arm that looked paler than the rest and widened. The large white snake was clutching at Maya's upper left arm with its teeth, while the rest of his long body was still touching the ground.

Without second thought, he dashed towards them with his free claw raised in the air while the other was still holding Tetsusaiga. "Sankon Tessou!!!" he cried as he slashed and ripped apart the white snake.

As soon as the snake perished and the 'two-holes'-bitemark on her arm became visible, Maya became limp and toppled sideward.

"Maya!!" Inuyasha cried as he caught her by her waist with his free and bloodstained claw before she hit the floor.

"I-Inu...yasha..." the girl murmured barely distinguishably. "G-go...leave me..."

He scowled as he held her closer to his chest with his free arm around her waist and tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade with the other. "Baka! There's no way I'm going to leave you behind!!" he growled angrily as he watched the whole swarm of snakes charge at himself and Maya. "EAT THIS!!! KAZE NO KIZU!!!!" he yelled out lout as he swung his blade diagonally upwards at the incoming attack and unleashed a group of huge blades of light.

Within seconds, the entire army of snakes was pulverized into thin air, leaving only several long, diverting scars in the landscape in front of them.

Inuyasha quickly sheathed his Tetsusaiga and looked down at the girl in his arms, who had become unconscious of the spreading venom. "Hold on Maya!! Please don't die on me!!" he cried and looked around them. He stopped when his eyes caught a shrine not very far away. "There!!" he said aloud. He quickly scooped up the girl bridal style and dashed into the direction of the shrine.

  
~*~

  
"Somebody!! Anybody!! Please help me!!" he shouted desperately as he entered the main hall of the shrine, which was mainly made of wood, with the unconscious Maya in his arms.

  
"Oh my goodness!" an old and bald priest gasped as he appeared in the doorway at the end of the hall. He was wearing a white haori and black hakama with brown prayer beads around his wrinkled neck.

"Please! My friend here has been bitten by a poisonous snake-youkai!" the hanyou pleaded as he ran towards the old man.

The priest glanced down at Maya and quickly nodded. "Follow me!" he said as he turned and ran further into the shrine. 

And Inuyasha followed.

  
---- In one of the guestrooms ----

  
"Please lay the girl down on the bed, I will go and summon the high priestess immediately," the old priest said before leaving the bedroom again.

Inuyasha did as he was told and carefully set Maya down on the bed.

"You'll be okay Maya, I'm sure you will...don't worry," he assured her as he held one of her cold and pale hands. Yet deep inside, he felt he was comforting himself instead of the unconscious girl in front of him. _Chikusho...!! How could I let this happen!! I swore to protect her and keep her safe!!_ he cursed inwardly. "Please don't die on me...I can't lose you...not now..." he whispered as he removed some strands out of her face.

  
His ears perked up when a loud gasp sounded from the doorway behind him and he turned to the voice.

It was a young woman. She had long dark hair tied into a low ponytail and dark gray eyes. She was wearing a formal priestess outfit of white and red and in her hands she was holding a basket filled with bandages and herbs. "I...Inuyasha...??" she gasped as disbelief filled her depthless eyes. 

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes but widened them as he recognized this woman.

'K-Kikyou...?!"

* * *

Ohh what a suspense huh? Well sorry about that ^-^, you should at least be happy that I updated within a week. It will take longer for me to update the next chapter because the next test will take place on Thursday the 15th, sorry!! Please look forward to the next chapter!!

**Next chapter: Remembrance (sounds pretty promising huh?)**

~*~  
\\"You told me that Inuyasha had a childhood friend and that he promised to marry her when they meet again, right?"//

\\"Well yeah, but where are you exactly going with your reasoning?"//

\\"Well, have I ever mentioned that Kagome cried out Inuyasha's name when we told her that the scar on her face was gone ten years ago?"//

\\"Euh, I'm not sure I'm following you."//

\\"Okay. What if I told you that the reason why Kagome had run away was because she's convinced that someone of her childhood had promised to marry her and is searching for her? She ran away because she wanted to find her promise!"//

\\"Are you saying...?"//

\\"Exactly!"//  
~*~

**Vocabulary:**

**ne: **something you say to draw someone's attention  
**oyasumi (nasai):** goodnight  
**Tetsusaiga:** a blade given to Inuyasha by his father (made of one of his father's fangs), can be translated as a "Steel-Cleaving-Fang"  
**Sankon Tessou:** claw-attack used by Inuyasha, can be translated as "Soul-Shattering Iron Claws"  
**baka: **stupid/idiot  
**Kaze no Kizu:** an attack used by Inuyasha using Tetsusaiga, means "Wound of the Wind"  
**chikusho:** damn it

~*~

**REPLIES ON REVIEWS:**

**Kyia: **Yeah they could, they are a good team in battle ^-^. Good luck with your stories!

**Dragon Man 180: **Hmm Shippou? I don't think so, because this story will be ending within several chapters now. Putting in the kitsune-character would be a bit mustard-after-the-meal, right? Thanks for reviewing!

**brazil: **Thanks!! I'll try to update as soon as possible!

**Clearwater-Faerie: **Thank you ^-^. Hahaha well, they're going to be more stupid later on, be prepared!!

**Tinkerbell-69-4ever: **Thank you very much, it won't take them very long now since this story is going to end pretty soon.

**Thief of Baghdad: **Thanks!

**Ks-Starshine: **Thank you so much!! It's very nice to hear that from readers (not to mention very encouraging ^-^).

**nekomoongirl:** Oh I can stand puppy eyes *groans* woah don't use them at me...*author's hands starting to move and type the chapter on their own* aahh!! Look what you've done to my hands!! Lol just kidding...here's the next update!! Enjoy it ^-^.

**Guardian-of-the-night: **Thanks! I'm glad I've put enough descriptions in it hehe.

**power2thepink: **If you mean Kagome's scent back then and now. Well, 12 years is a very long time. At least I personally don't think someone of 24 would still smell the same as when she was 12. If you meant the scent of Maya now and that of his fiancée when they were in that dark room, still no, because Inuyasha was human back then so he couldn't use his keen sense of smelling. Besides, Inuyasha doesn't even know (not even now) that Kagome is his fiancée, I hope you're still following me ^-^.

**osuwariIYK: **Thanks for reviewing! Enjoy reading this chapter!

**Kirei Baka Kasumi:** Wait and see ^-^! Thanks for reviewing!! I'm glad you like this story!

**Shadow-Demon14:** Thanks! Well, it really depends on my mood when I update, but I try to keep it as regular as possible as I don't like to let readers wait (and forget) my story or the storyline ^-^.  
~*~

Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~ 

Posted: 7 April 2004  
Last Edited: 7 April 2004  
Spelling check: YES


	18. Remembrance

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**:  
Thanks for waiting everybody! I sure hope it was worth the time ^-^. Please enjoy reading! Oh right, maybe you've already noticed it yourself...this story is going to end pretty soon, how soon? Well...I'll tell you at the end of this chapter okay? 

_Italic_: thoughts or emphasized words  
**-- --**: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~*~*~*~: time gap or change of perspective  
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**

-by Kittymui-

  
**Remembrance**

  
**Previously:**  
It was a young woman. She had long dark hair tied into a low ponytail and dark gray eyes. She was wearing a formal priestess outfit of white and red and in her hands she was holding a basket filled with bandages and herbs. "I...Inuyasha...??" she gasped as disbelief filled her depthless eyes.   
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes but widened them as he recognized this woman.  
'K-Kikyou...?!"

  
~*~*~ that evening ~*~*~

  
"How is she?" Inuyasha asked worriedly when he saw Kikyou come out of the bedroom.

"Don't worry, I've gotten rid of most of the poison, the rest is up to her own strength," she reassured him. Just when she opened her mouth to say something again, Inuyasha cut her off.

"Can I see her?"

She nodded and watched how the hanyou walked pass her into the bedroom and closed the door behind him.

  
~*~

  
He slowly walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. He quietly studied her sleeping face.

"I told you that you're always getting yourself into trouble. You just had to deny it and argue with me huh?" he whispered to her. "I'm the one who should protect you and get you out of trouble...and not the other way around silly girl. Now look what you've gotten yourself in to."

He reached out his hand and stroked her cheek. Mindlessly he suddenly whispered out a name he never thought he would to the sleeping girl.

"Kagome..."

His eyes widened and he quickly retracted his hand as if he had burned his fingers. However, his eyes never left Maya's face. _What am I doing?_ he asked himself, shocked by his own actions. _I...I can't...I can't fall in love with this girl...she's...not her...not Kagome..._ he forced himself to remember these words.

His thoughts were cut off when a soft moan caught his ears. He realized it was coming from the girl next to him. "Maya?" he called out her name.

"C...cold..." the girl murmured barely distinguishable.

From her expression and calm heartbeat, Inuyasha knew that she was talking in her sleep. Without second thought, he loosened the red sash around his waist and took off his red haori. 

After he laid his shirt over the white covers as an extra layer, he quietly left the bedroom again.

  
**-- back in Shiho --**

  
"Something's not right..." Sango suddenly spoke.

"Not at all, I think it's very right this way," Miroku smiled as he tightened his embrace and looked down at the girl in his arms.

They were sitting at the base of a tree in the garden of Takada's mansion.

"No...I'm talking about Inuyasha and Kagome," she responded.

Miroku scowled. _Not again?! Curse you Inuyasha! Do you know how much effort and patience it took me to draw her attention to me instead of you and your fiancée for the past couple of months?!!_ he complained inwardly. "What is it with them?" he asked as gentle as possible while suppressing his impatience.

"You told me that Inuyasha had a childhood friend and that he promised to marry her when they meet again, right?"

He nodded. 

"Did I ever tell you that Kagome's suffering a partial memory loss because she's lost her father when they were attacked by bandits?"

"Well yeah, but where are you exactly going with your reasoning?" he asked.

"Did Inuyasha tell you more about his childhood friend?" she asked.

Miroku shook his head.

Sango thought for a moment before continuing. "Well, have I ever mentioned that Kagome cried out Inuyasha's name when we told her that the scar on her face was gone ten years ago?"

"Euh, I'm not sure I'm following you." he responded confused.

Sango sighed. "Okay. What if I told you that the reason why Kagome had run away was because she's convinced that someone of her childhood had promised to marry her and is searching for her? She ran away because she wanted to find her promise!"

Miroku thought for a moment, but then he suddenly realized what the maid was trying to make clear and quickly turned to her again. "Are you saying...?"

"Exactly!" she smiled.

"So..." he started, not knowing how to conclude this.

"Kagome is Inuyasha's childhood lover whom he promised to marry after they meet again and Inuyasha is the one Kagome is actually waiting for, all these years," Sango helped him.

Miroku widened his eyes. "Man! I can't believe they were actually able to meet again after so long..." he said stupefied.

"Me neither," she agreed.

"Hey! Didn't you just say Kagome was suffering a partial memory loss?" Miroku suddenly asked.

Sango nodded. "If she knew she was being betrothed to the one she was actually waiting for, she wouldn't have ran away back then."

"Wait a minute. Inuyasha isn't suffering memory loss, so if he didn't recognize her by her looks, he should have recognized the name of his childhood lover," he reasoned.

The maid sweatdropped. "Euhm...I don't recall myself or anybody else ever to have told him that our lady's name is Kagome...not even when he left to search for her..."

Miroku almost dropped his jaw of surprise. "Huh?? Then why the hell did he set off to search for her if he doesn't even know the name of his fiancée?? Not to mention the fact that he doesn't even know how she looks like!"

"Hmm you do have a point there...I guess it's something we'll have to ask him ourselves when he returns from his journey..." Sango responded. "But I don't think he would be able to find her even if he knew her name was Kagome."

"Why is that?"

"Because milady never uses her real name in public, especially when she knows that Takada-sama will be sending guards to look for her," she explained.

"Geez...what a mess..." Miroku sighed with a hand on his forehead.

"You can say that again," the maid agreed sadly. "Unless Kagome remembers Inuyasha, they'll never be able to find out each other's identities."

Miroku placed his chin on top of Sango's head. "Don't worry, I'm sure they'll be able to reunite somehow."

  
**-- back to our main character ^-^ --**

  
Without realizing it, Inuyasha had arrived at the garden in front of the shrine. 

It was a calm landscape. The water in the pond reflected the light of the pale moon and the trees were rustling in harmony, guided by the rhythm of the gentle breezes coming from the North.

_What the hell am I doing...?_ he asked himself again.

"Kagome..." he whispered out her name as he gazed up to the clear and starry sky. The image of the childhood Kagome appeared in his mind. 

He widened his eyes as he suddenly realized something. Inuyasha concentrated very hard on the image of his childhood lover and his memories with her, but something changed. But it wasn't the image or the memories that have changed.

He came to the realization that he was the one who had actually changed. It was his feelings that have changed.

A surge of guilt welled up in his heart as he realized he wasn't feeling the same for the girl anymore like he did twelve years ago.

  
Little did he know that a pair of dark-gray eyes was watching him from afar.

  
~*~

  
Kagome slowly opened her eyes and blinked. _W-where am I...?_ she thought hazily as she didn't recognize the ceiling, which was slightly illuminated by the candle that stood on a small nightstand next to the bed. 

She frowned when a stinging feeling came from her upper left arm. _That's right...I was bitten by the white snake back then..._ she remembered as she decided not to put too much pressure on her injured limb. She pulled her right arm from under the covers and placed it on her forehead. _That was a strange dream..._ she thought to herself as she tried to replay the dream in her mind once again. 

  
[DREAM SEQUENCE]

  
Kagome was running in the dark, dressed in her red wedding garments. Instead of being tied into a decorated knot, her raven-black hair billowed loosely in the wind behind her with every step she took. 

[AN: The clothes she wore on the day of the Battle for the bride: a burgundy yukata made of silk, with a graceful phoenix, which was made of golden threads and colorful crystal beads, embroidered on it. Its head could be seen near her shoulder, with its wings on each side of her waist and its claws and its colorful tail curled near her legs.]  


"Where is it...? Where are you...??" she asked, broken in heavy pants. "P-please...don't leave me...don't forget me...d-don't forget it..." (e.g. the promise)

Suddenly she tripped over something invisible and landed spread-out on her stomach on the black floor. 

"D-don't leave me...please..." she pleaded as tears welled up in her eyes; not knowing whether it was because she couldn't find what she was looking for or because of the impact with the floor. She buried her head in her arms and started to cry.

Then, a cold breeze blew pass her form on her floor, drawing her attention.

Kagome slowly lifted her head up from her arms and shivered. "C-cold..." she murmured as she looked around her with her teary vision. She widened her eyes when she suddenly found herself in the middle of the forest near a creek. _...Eh?_

She had the feeling that she'd been here before but a second cold breeze blew all her clear thoughts away and caused her to shiver. Just when she was about to black out of the cold, a warm feeling surrounded her back and suddenly she wasn't cold anymore. 

When she looked over her shoulder, she saw a red garment covering her upper body. _T-this is..._ She was abruptly pulled out of her thoughts when the sound of footsteps approached her from the front.

Kagome quickly shifted her gaze to in front of her, only to see a pair of bare feet and the ends of apparently a red hakama. Her eyes slowly traveled upwards from the red hakama to a white shirt and widened when they met a pair of golden orbs looking down at her. 

_I...Inuyasha...?_ she thought surprised, recognizing the young silver-haired hanyou. _Why...? What is he doing here?_

"Silly girl...what are you doing on the floor?" he smiled at her as he knelt down and offered her his clawed hand. "Here...let me help you up."

Still surprised, Kagome hesitated before taking his hand and slowly got to her feet with his support. Suddenly a stinging pain shot through her body and caused her to wince and lean on Inuyasha for support. But when she searched the origin of the pain and for an injury, she found nothing at all.

"You're hurt. Let me carry you," the hanyou offered with a gentle voice.

Kagome turned to him and smiled. "N-no, I-I'm fine...real__" 

Before she could finish, the hanyou already scooped her up bridal style and started walking into a direction alongside the creek, leaving his red garment behind on the grass. 

"This is where we first met...remember...?" he asked as he stopped before a thick old tree.

Kagome looked around. _The creek...the thick old tree..._ she thought as her gaze traveled upwards to a certain thick branch. _...the branch..._ And then she widened her eyes. _This...this is indeed the place...b-but how...?_ she thought confused as she remembered that it was the place where she met the person from her childhood a long time ago and looked up at Inuyasha. "H-how did you__?"

"Silly Kagome...this is the place where I made my promise to you, remember?" he smiled down at her. 

Kagome widened her eyes. "P-promise?? B-but you...h-how...??"

The hanyou lowered his head and leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes locked on hers. "We were forced to separate back then...so I made a promise to you that I would search for you until I've found you... and when I do..." he whispered softly. "...I would take you as my mate..."

"B-but...but__" Kagome stammered, confused about the fact that it was indeed the promise of her memory. But she was cut off again when the hanyou continued.

"Do you remember when I told you that I would fall in love with you eventually?" he asked as he slowly set her on her feet and cupped her cheek with one clawed hand while the other was resting on her waist in case she lost her balance of her 'injury'.

Kagome gasped inaudibly. _I've seen this...I know this conversation..._ she thought to herself and slightly nodded in reply before she knew it.

The hanyou smiled warmly. "Well you know...I think I just did..." he whispered before he leaned closer and sealed her lips with his.

_This...I've felt it before...I know this feeling..._ Kagome thought wide-eyed. She slowly closed her eyes and melted into the hanyou's arms as she kissed him back. _It's this sweet feeling...I'll never forget..._

  
[END DREAM SEQUENCE]

  
_Why did I dream about Inuyasha...? Why did it turn out to be him...?_ she thought confused. _It couldn't be him...it's just a dream...right...?_

Slowly, she pushed her self up into a sitting position, causing part of the covers that were covering her chest to fall on her lap. Then, she suddenly noticed the contrast of dark red and white in the peripheral area of her eyes and dropped her gaze. _...Eh? T-this is...Inuyasha's..._ she thought surprised as she found out that the dark red color wasn't part of the covers. 

As she picked up the dark red garment, a small glistening object fell out of one of the sleeves onto her lap. 

Kagome carefully picked it up and examined it in the candlelight. _This is... _

She knew it was an identity plate, for her father and any other members of a rich family also carried one, but what she found most surprising was the crest that was carved in it. _I've seen it before...but where...?_ she thought.

Then she suddenly remembered something and quickly started to search the sleeves of her white haori. As soon as she found what she was looking for, she pulled it out and put it next to the identity plate that she was holding in her other hand. 

She widened her eyes and gasped. "O-onaji...desu..." she whispered as her eyes reciprocated between the blue crest in the porcelain and the carving in the gold.

  
And then, as a tidal wave, memories that were kept in a small locked corner started to gush out and fill her mind.

  
[FLASHBACK]

  
_"Can you tell me your name?"_

_"It's Inuyasha."_

_"Well then, Inuyasha. Can you please stay here and wait until I come back?"_

~*~

_"Euhm...do you like the flower I gave you?"_

_"I don't hate it."_

_"Great!! I knew you would like it!!!"_  


~*~

_"This is__"_

_"You humans heal too slow. Your hands will heal faster with this and it won't leave any scars."_

_"Thank you."_

~*~

_"It's NOT a scratch...it's a horrible wound...it's ugly...a-and I'm ugly..."  
_

_"Hey...you're not ugly Kagome. Look at me Kagome."_

_"You are NOT ugly...okay?"_

_"That's what you think...you haven't even seen it yet...this...this horrible wound...W-when I look in the mirror, all I see is that...ugly...wound...now everybody would say 'what an ugly girl' and then...I'll be all alone...until the day I die...n-nobody would want to have a scarfaced girl...like me..."_

_"I will..."_

~*~

_"I will find you...kanarazu..."_

_"I will wait for you...zutto..."_

  
~*~*~*~

  
_"Maya! Take Kagome and go!! Run for your lives while I keep them busy!! Go!!!"_

_"No!! Father!! I won't leave you!!"_

_"Where do you think you're going?"_

_"Milady! Watch out!!"_

_"Father!!! Maya!!! NOOOO!!!"_

  
[END FLASHBACK]

  
The soft tapping sound of water colliding with silk slowly pulled her back into reality again.

Kagome touched her wet cheeks and realized that she had started to cry uncontrollably the moment she believed that her mind had shown her nothing but the truth. _F-father...M-Maya...I-I'm so sorry..._

She shifted her gaze back to the two objects in her hands and a grimace appeared on her features. _I've been searching...and waiting all this time...for someone who was already by my side..._ she sighed in herself. _Silly...silly Kagome... _

Without further thinking, she wiped away her tears and climbed out of the bed. 

She exited the bedroom and ran desperately through the silent halls of the building on her bare feet with Inuyasha's haori clutched against her chest; her mind only set on one goal: to see the one person she had been longing to see for the past twelve years. _Inuyasha... _

  
Kagome abruptly stopped running when she caught a glimpse of silver out of the window of the hallway. 

Her eyes narrowed to focus on the silver near the pond in the garden below and widened. _Inuyasha!!_

Just when she was about to continue her way downstairs to meet up with her long lost lover, a shadow moved in the peripheral area of her eyes, drawing her attention. When she looked more closely in silence, she realized it was a young priestess with long dark hair.

She watched how the priestess slowly made her way to the hanyou's side and narrowed her eyes. _Who is she...?_ she thought alerted.

She widened her eyes when she saw the name that formed on Inuyasha's lips after he turned to look at the priestess.

_  
"Kikyou..."_

_  
Kikyou...?! _Kagome thought shocked as she recalled it was the girl who left Inuyasha without a word long before she (Kagome) met him. _B-but that's___

Before she could finish what she was thinking, a much more shocking scene unfolded before her very own eyes.

The woman called Kikyou had crashed onto the hanyou's chest and was hugging him tight with her arms around his waist.

But what shocked Kagome even more was the fact that Inuyasha was hugging the priestess back with his arms slowly placed around her waist.

  
All sorts of emotions played in her mind at that moment: anger, doubt, fear, betrayal, pain and confusion. 

_Inuyasha...h-he wouldn't..._ she told herself as she created some distance between the window and herself. _I've got to ask him myself!!_ she decided and quickly made her way downstairs.

  
~*~

  
Once outside, Kagome stood still as she realized that Inuyasha was now standing in front of the pond alone. _Where did the priestess go...? _ she thought surprised as she slowly and quietly hid herself behind a tree behind the hanyou.

She froze when she heard a sigh coming from him and peeked at him from behind the thick trunk. 

The silver-haired dogdemon was looking up at the starry sky.

Kagome held her breath as her name came out shortly after the sigh. 

"Kagome..."

_He knows I'm here?_ she wondered but denied that possibility since she never told him that she was actually Kagome. 

"It's been twelve long years already...and I'm still not able to find out where you are..." he continued. "I'm sorry..."

Kagome was glad to know that he still remembered her, yet somehow she felt deep down inside her heart that the hanyou wasn't apologizing just because of that reason.

"We met when we were little and from that moment on...you've started to change me...I was able to open up myself and let go of unhappy memories because of you." The hanyou took a long pause before continuing. "I...I want to you know that my feelings for you back then were more true than all truths of the world...I loved you deeply Kagome."

She smiled as she heard this but not long after that she furrowed her eyebrows. _D-did...did he just say...'loved'...???_

"I haven't forgotten my promise to you and I'll never will. I could fulfill the promise just like I said I would...I could act as if we had never parted...as if those twelve years were just a long dream...But I don't want to lie to you Kagome...I don't want to be untrue to my own feelings...it would be unfair...unfair to the both of us..."

Kagome's heartbeats made her chest tremble with fear as she leaned against the tree-trunk for support. _N-no..._ she pleaded disbelievingly in her mind.

"Kagome...I..." the hanyou hesitated.

"I have fallen in love...with someone else...I'm sorry..."

  
Kagome widened her eyes when she heard the words she had hoped never to come from his mouth. The image of Inuyasha and the woman named Kikyou hugging each other suddenly appeared in her mind. _No..._ she gasped inwardly as tears stung her eyes.

She knew Inuyasha was saying something else after that but it was as though someone had covered her ears, for she couldn't hear one single distinguishable word from what he was saying anymore. 

Unable to recover from the shock she was in, her legs suddenly became numb and Kagome lost consciousness.

Before she hit the earth though, two strong arms caught her limp form and lifted her up bridal style.

* * *

Oops, sorry...I know it's very inappropriate for me to put another cliffhanger here, but after this I'll be turning to Inuyasha's point of view, so I thought it would be a nice spot to put a line. I hope you've enjoyed reading this chapter ^-^ although the plot seems to be making a huge U-turn hehehe. Please look forward to the next and FINAL chapter!!

**Next (final) chapter: Clueless (will be posted on 20 April!!)**

~*~  
No teasers because next chapter is the final one ^-^!  
~*~

**Vocabulary:**

**hanyou:** half-demon  
**onaji desu: **it's the same

~*~

**REPLIES ON REVIEWS:**

**inuphoria**, **Cheerful Oblivious**, **Guardian-of-the-night**, **nekomoongirl: **Thanks for reviewing!! I'm glad you like it!

**LiLsTuBbOrNgRl: **Yeah, what would an Inuyasha story be without Kikyou in it ^-^! Thanks!

**Dragon Man 180: **Thanks! Yeah, from a third (or fourth) person's perspective, things are always clearer ^-^. Looks like the readers aren't the only ones having trouble with suspense hehehe.

**power2thepink:** Well I guess you already know the answer. Since the next chapter is going to be the last one, I won't be bringing Shippou up anymore. Maybe in my next story ^-^.

**brazil: **Hahaha, well, I mentioned Kikyou at the beginning of the whole story and I thought I should bring her back somehow and make clear about the whole 'leaving-without-a-word-mystery'. Don't worry about the pairing, because if I chose a particular pairing for a story, then that pairing will stand until the last chapter ^-^. 

**ioka: **A little bit late, but still, I wish you a happy birthday! Thanks for reading and reviewing my story!

**Thief of Baghdad:** Thanks for reading and reviewing ^-^ I'm glad you like it. As for your curiosity, I've mentioned above that the next chapter will be the final one, but honestly I had planned to make this story about 20-25 chapters long. Don't worry about the suspense thing, I tend not to let readers wait too long for the next update. Usually I update once a week but since I had a test yesterday I had to postpone writing this chapter (and the next one).

**Clearwater-Faerie: **Well, honestly I don't really like the original traits and character of Inuyasha, he's just tooooo stubborn and filled with pride, which is definitely not appropriate for my story and twists here ^-^. Thanks for reviewing!

**Ks-Starshine: **Hehehehe, sorry about that ^-^. I hope you still liked this chapter despite the huge twist. Thanks for reviewing!!

**x shadow: **Thanks for telling me! And thanks for liking the battle scenes I've written ^-^!

**Samieko: **Hahaha well euhm...I guess what happened in this chapter is the worst that can happen in this story, don't you agree? But don't worry, I, the high and mighty author of this story, will not disappoint you ^-^!

**osuwariIYK: **Wait for the next (and final) chapter and your questions will be answered ^-^. I'm glad you liked the battle scene.

**lightmiko:** Almost right, it wasn't Inuyasha though. But don't worry, it won't turn out too bad in the next chapter.

**Kyia:** Thanks for telling me, I'll be sure not to make the same mistake again ^-^! Good luck with your stories!

**siyuri: **She sure is messing things up in this chapter hahaha. Poor Inuyasha huh? Don't worry, things are going to be solved in the next chapter ^-^.

**myinuyasha04: **You're definitely not the only one telling me that hahaha, and I completely understand why since she really messed things up in this chapter ^-^. But trust me, she's really not that evil, which is going to be explained in the next chapter.

**FieryDemonFox: **Thank you very much! I'm glad to know that the vocabularies are appreciated ^-^.

**babe_galanime: **I will, don't worry ^-^.

**Danielle: **Hahaha, I try to update as soon as possible, but things aren't proceeding as planned with the test held yesterday. But don't worry, I've promised to update on 20 april, so I'll definitely update on that day. 

**DarkMiko05:** Thanks for telling me. The next chapter is going to be the last one, and the date on which I will post it is also given above, I hope you will also review the last one to let me know what you think of the whole story ^-^.

**Inukamisashi: **I know it's a killing suspense this time, but please hold on and wait until the 20 April hehehe ^-^.

**Kirei Baka Kasumi: **Hehehe sorry about the cliffhangers, can't really help myself. I'm glad to know you like this story.

**Tinkerbell-69-4ever: **Wow! Thanks for the chocolate *munch* they're really delicious ^o^. Sorry for the late update, the next one will definitely be posted on the appointed date, be patient ^-^!

**ShadowStar666:** Don't worry, the next chapter is going to be the last one. I myself don't really like "stretched-out" stories so I'll be quick and to-the-point with this one. (partly because I can't wait to begin my next story, which will be introduced in the next and last chapter).   
About Inuyasha not being able to recognize Kagome; you're right about the scar-reason. Inuyasha recognized the priestess being Kikyou because her looks didn't change much and most importantly because she recognized Inuyasha and called him by his name.   
Inuyasha did think Kagome was Kagome at first when he first saw her at the Archery Contest, but since she didn't recognize him and didn't have the scar, he doubted that possibility. And most importantly, Kagome said that she was Maya and not Kagome, which strengthened Inuyasha's doubts about she being his childhood lover. I hope this explanation clears up a bit of the confusion ^-^.

**cheryz816: **Thanks for telling me about the song, I've listened to it and I think the song is indeed very fitting to this story ^-^. Plus it's a very nice song, thanks again!

**KenshinOtaku: **Nope, she's just a normal girl. And in this story, I didn't mention Kagome and Kikyou looking alike because that would only create more confusion with the identities. I wouldn't want readers to be more confused ^-^. In this story of mine, they don't look alike at all. Honestly I don't think they look alike in the series at all hehehe, but that's just my opinion.

**AlleyWings: **Well not really stubborn; they both just want to keep their promises that's all ^-^. 

~*~

Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~ 

Posted: 15 April 2004  
Last Edited: 15 April 2004  
Spelling check: YES


	19. Clueless

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own the characters of the Inuyasha series nor do I own the original storyline.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**:  
Hey everybody!! This is the last and final chapter of this story and so it will also be extra long compared to the previous chapters ^-^. I hope you will like the ending I have thought for this story. Please enjoy reading! And tell me with a review what you think about this story. Thanks!!

_Italic_: thoughts or emphasized words  
-- --: locations   
"...": spoken words   
~*~*~*~*~: time gap or change of perspective  
*...* : noises

* * *

  


**DESTINY**

-by Kittymui-

  
**Clueless**

  
**Previously:**  
She knew Inuyasha was saying something else after that but it was as though someone had covered her ears, for she couldn't hear one single distinguishable word from what he was saying anymore. 

Unable to recover from the shock she was in, her legs suddenly became numb and Kagome lost consciousness.

Before she hit the earth though, two strong arms caught her limp form and lifted her up bridal style.  


  
~*~*~*~

  
"Kikyou..." he formed the priestess' name on his lips after turning to her.

"So you do still remember me...I'm glad," she smiled, but her expression soon became serious again.

"Is there something wrong? Is it Maya?" Inuyasha asked, noticing the sudden expression-change.

"You care...about her...a lot, don't you?" the priestess suddenly asked out the blue as she dropped her face.

"Kikyou? What's wrong?" he asked with a worried tone.

He was shocked when the priestess suddenly crashed onto his chest and hugged him tight.

"T-there hadn't been a single day that I didn't think about you...Inuyasha..." she cried. "I'm sorry I left without telling you that day...it wasn't my fault...I'm so sorry. My parents forced me into becoming a priestess of this place...I had no other choice."

Inuyasha's eyes softened and hesitated before placing his arms around the priestess' waist. "It's okay Kikyou...it's already in the past..." he comforted her.

Kikyou slowly pulled away to look up at him with eyes filled with hope. "T-then...then we__" she began but was cut off by Inuyasha.

"Kikyou, you know it's impossible..."

The priestess dropped her face. "It's...because of the girl in the shrine...?" she asked meekly.

Inuyasha shook his head. "I never felt for you that way Kikyou. I saw you more as a sister than anything else...please understand."

"I see..." she responded as she slowly dropped her arms to her side. "Have you...told her...?"

Inuyasha gave her a puzzled look but then he understood what she meant by that and shook his head in reply. "No...not yet."

Kikyou frowned. "But you love her...don't you?"

The hanyou hesitated. _Do I...?_

"Your eyes...are filled with something when you're talking about her...emotions that I've never seen before when we were together," she explained with an awkward smile.

A short moment of silence took place before she spoke again. "You should tell her...

Inuyasha frowned. _I want to...but I...the promise..._ he thought to himself.

"...or you might regret it you know...?" the priestess continued. "If she were to disappear before you very eyes someday...would you able to cope with the fact that you had never told her about her feelings for her?"

After she said that, she made several steps backwards and smiled as tears stung her eyes. "Don't disappoint me Inuyasha...or I'll never forgive you for choosing her over me," she laughed and turned around before the tears appeared. And she walked away.

  
Inuyasha watched the priestess disappear into the shadows of the trees as he thought about what she said.

_"If she were to disappear before you very eyes someday...would you able to cope with the fact that you had never told her about her feelings for her?"_

He smiled invisibly as he turned to the pond again. _I don't think I could..._ he answered to the same question inwardly.

His eyes traveled upwards to the starry sky again and he let out a sigh of nervousness. _Are you watching the sky too...?_ he wondered.

"Kagome..." he said her name aloud. "It's been twelve long years already...and I'm still not able to find out where you are...I'm sorry..."

_Kagome...I know that you can hear me somehow...I can feel it...please forgive me for what I'm about to say..._ he pleaded inwardly. "We met when we were little and from that moment on...you've started to change me...I was able to open up myself and let go of unhappy memories because of you."

_There's no turning back now..._ he decided inwardly. "I...I want to you know that my feelings for you back then were more true than all truths of the world...I loved you deeply Kagome."

"I haven't forgotten my promise to you and I'll never will. I could fulfill the promise just like I said I would...I could act as if we had never parted...as if those twelve years were just a long dream...But I don't want to lie to you Kagome...I don't want to be untrue to my own feelings...it would be unfair...unfair to the both of us..."

He swallowed hard as he reached the toughest part of his confession. "Kagome...I...I have fallen in love...with someone else...I'm sorry..."

Somehow, he felt a little bit relieved to have said those words. "But I will still continue my journey until I have found you. I will not rest until I know that you're safe...and then...I'll tell you the whole truth myself," he said aloud. "Maybe you'll never be able to forgive me, but then again...I don't think I'd ever be able to forgive myself..."

A long silence took place after he said that, but it was soon interrupted by a soft gasp coming from behind him.

Inuyasha almost instantly snapped out of his own private world when he realized that Maya's scent was awfully near and he quickly turned around. He widened his eyes at the sight before him.

Maya was lying unconsciously in the arms of a certain man with crimson-colored eyes and long wavy black hair tied in a low ponytail. 

"You!!" he cried disbelievingly, immediately recognizing the one he defeated during the Battle for the bride.

"Long time no see, my dear rival," Naraku grinned as he walked closer to the hanyou with the girl in his arms. He was wearing a dark purple haori and hakama with a sword hanging around his waist.

"What did you do to her?! Get your filthy hands off of her or I'll cut them off!!" the hanyou threatened angrily as his clawed hand reached for the hilt of his sword.

"Tsk tsk...mind you words half-breed. I didn't do anything to her, she just fainted into my arms willingly," the human smirked as he held her closer to his chest. "Not that I'm not happy about it."

Inuyasha scowled. "What do you want?!" he growled.

Naraku grinned. "I want the piece of land where Takada is living on and since he refused to sell it to my father, the only way to get it is to inherit it when the old man is sleeping six feet under."

"So? What's your business with her then?" Inuyasha asked, shifting his gaze to Maya and then back to Naraku again.

"Well well, aren't we dense today..." he laughed. "Don't tell me you didn't know that Kagome is actually Takada's daughter."

Inuyasha widened his eyes. "W-what did you just say???"

"I take by your reaction that you didn't know. Geez...how clueless can you be," the human mocked.

Inuyasha ignored the insult, as he was too busy in his own thoughts. _K-Kagome...is Takada's daughter...?! T-that's impossible..._ he thought to himself. "You're lying!! Kagome's father isn't Lord Takada!!" he argued confused.

"True...that's because she was adopted by Takada twelve years ago, but that won't change the fact that the one who gets her hand in marriage will inherit everything as his rightful son-in-law," Naraku told him.

_Adopted...? T-then...oh my God..._ he thought shocked as he recalled his first encounter with his betrothed. _That...that was Kagome!!! I-I'm...engaged to Kagome!!!_

Strangely enough, after the sudden realization of he being engaged to his childhood lover, Inuyasha somehow didn't feel very relieved or happy at all. 

  
He was pulled out of his thoughts when Naraku spoke again.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bring Takada's daughter back to where she belongs and demand for her hand in marriage as my reward," he smirked and turned around to leave.

[AN: Note that Inuyasha still doesn't know that Naraku meant the girl in his arms by talking about Kagome. Yeah...he's dense all right ^o^.]

Inuyasha's ears twitched as he heard this. He immediately unsheathed Tetsusaiga and blocked Naraku's path by jumping into the air and landing in front of him. "There's no way I'm going to let her marry you!" he growled angrily. _Even if I'm not the one who's going to bring her happiness...I'll never let her marry the bastard!! _ he decided inwardly. "Now drop the girl or I'll make you!"

Naraku grinned. "A rematch huh? Very well then, if you insist..."

With that, he walked towards a nearby tree and set the girl down on the floor in a sitting position with her back leaning against the trunk.

"Now prepare yourself..." he said with a low voice as he straightened himself up and unsheathed the sword that he carried around his waist.

"Keh! Already waiting!" the hanyou smirked as he shifted into a fighting stance with his fang-blade raised in the air.

  
The two stood still as they looked in each other's eyes and waited for a signal to commence the battle.

Not long after that, a breeze came from the North and carried a single green Sycamore leaf with it.

The pair of golden orbs locked itself on the leaf and so did the pair of crimson ones. They both followed the leaf as it drifted their way until it began to lose altitude and started to fall to the ground.

As soon as it touched the earth, the two almost immediately charged at each other with their sharp weapons raised in the air.

"Die!!!" Naraku cried as he swung his sword downwards at the hanyou.

Inuyasha quickly held up his fang-blade to block the offense.

*CLASH*

"Grrr...just give up the girl half-breed, you can't win this time!!" Naraku growled as he put more pressure on his sword.

Inuyasha scowled, which followed by a smirk. "Do you honestly think a human like yourself can win from someone like me?!"

He tightened his grip on Tetsusaiga and pushed the human back without much effort. With a firm swing of his fang-blade, he caused Naraku to stumble backwards a few steps.

"Why you..." Naraku cursed, but then he thought about something and quickly glanced over his shoulder at the unconscious girl behind him on the floor.

"Prepare yourself!!" Inuyasha cried as he took the offense this time.

He was surprised when the human turned to him with a sly grin on his face. He abruptly stopped dashing when Naraku pointed his sword at the girl without looking away. "One step closer and she'll die," he threatened.

Inuyasha smirked. "Kill her and you'll never get that piece of land from Takada." [**AN:** meaning that Naraku could lose the only clue to Kagome's whereabouts by killing her.]

He frowned when Naraku's expression remained unchanged. "I changed my mind. I'll tell him that you murdered her and that I avenged her by bringing your corpse to him. I'm sure he'll find it reasonable to give me his land as a reward."

"You bastard...how low can you go?!" the hanyou cursed.

"I never said this would be a fair fight," the human chuckled as he picked the girl up with one arm and forced her limp body to his chest. "Now drop your weapon."

Inuyasha bared his fangs and hesitated before dropping Tetsusaiga to the grass. "Now let her go!!" he growled.

Naraku smirked. "Ha! Let the girl go when I'm in this advantageous position? Are you out of your mind?"

"You won't dare..." he said with a low growl as he guessed what Naraku was planning to do.

"Watch me," Naraku grinned as he leaned closer to the girl's face.

_There's no way I'm going to stand here and do nothing!!_ Inuyasha decided inwardly. Without hesitation, he dug his sharp claws in his own chest until he drew blood. "I rather kill her myself than let her be claimed by a monster like you!!" he cried and swung his bloodied claw at them. "Hijin Kessou!!!"

_If he treasures his petty life, he would drop Maya and jump away..._ he hypothesized as he narrowed his eyes. _And if not...I'm sure Maya won't blame me for it..._

Just like he had anticipated, the human indeed threw the girl away and jumped away to avoid being slashed by his claws of blood. Inuyasha quickly picked up his fang-blade from the floor and raised it into the air. "Die!!!" he cried and lunged forward at Naraku.

To his surprise, Naraku suddenly dropped his sword and fell to his knees. "Please spare me!!" he begged.

Inuyasha stopped right in front of Naraku and lowered Tetsusaiga.

"Please forgive me!! You don't want to kill a human...right? I promise I'll leave you alone if you let me to," he pleaded.

The hanyou raised a brow. _I wonder if someone as bad as he deserves to live at all...but then again, I don't kill humans..._ he pondered.

Eventually, he sheathed his fang-blade and turned his back to the human. "Keh! I wouldn't even bother to stain my Tetsusaiga with the blood of a low human like you!" he spat. "I don't ever want to see you again...now LEAVE!!"

"Y-yes..." Naraku responded, but then he grinned inwardly as he slowly pulled out a dagger from beneath his haori. _You stupid hanyou, your mercifulness will be your death!_ he thought as he stood up. 

But just when he was about to slash at Inuyasha, he was taken by surprise when the hanyou suddenly turned and caught his throat with his clawed hand.

"Wrong move bastard," Inuyasha growled as he tightened his grip.

Naraku dropped the weapon to the grass and tried to pry off the hanyou's claw. "Y-you won't..." he gasped for air.

Inuyasha smirked. "You know what? I changed my mind too. I think I'll just snap your miserable life away right now and get over it."

"No! Please...I'm sorry..." the human panicked.

"Look at you! You're almost peeing in your hakama! I'm warning you...if I return to Shiho and hear about your filthy actions again, I'll have someone more powerful than me end your fragile life," he growled. "I'm pretty sure you've heard about Inutaisho...he's my father and I can assure you that he's not as merciful as I am when I tell him you tried to kill me."

"I-I...understand..." he acknowledged obediently.

After hearing that, Inuyasha released his throat.

Naraku rubbed his throat. "T-thank you...you're very merciful," he coughed.

The hanyou frowned. "You don't deserve to leave this place unpunished...not after what you've done," he reasoned and in a flash, he balled his fist and punched the human right in his face, causing him to stumble onto the grass. The punch was hard enough to knock out Naraku and so the human remained on the floor. 

"Serves you right," Inuyasha spat before turning around.

He quickly walked over to Maya's side and knelt down. "Maya...wake up..." he said as he gently picked her up and let her lean against his chest.

  
~*~

"Uhn..." the girl moaned and slowly opened her navy blue eyes.

"Inuyasha...?" she said as her eyes met his golden ones. She widened her eyes when she saw a dark red bloodstain on Inuyasha's garment at the height of his chest. "Y-you're hurt!" she gasped.

"Don't worry. It's just a scratch. I already knocked out the bastard," he reassured her.

Maya relaxed as she heard this but then she recalled what had happened a while ago and her face saddened.

"Maya?" the hanyou drew her attention again. "I...I want to tell you something...it's about Kagome...I want to you know that I___"

"I don't want to hear it!" she cut him off as she averted her gaze. _I don't want to hear it...again..._

Inuyasha was startled by her sudden response. "B-but__" he tried again.

"Stop it!!" she cut him off again, this time turning to look at the hanyou with an angry expression. "How could you do this to me!!" she cried out of frustration, forgetting the fact that Inuyasha doesn't know she's actually Kagome.

Inuyasha widened his eyes. _W-what is she talking about...? _Then he realized something. _Wait a minute...did she hear what I said earlier...???_ He was pulled out of his thoughts when the girl spoke again.

"I want to go home..." she said. _What's the use of telling him I'm Kagome anyway...when all he wants to tell me...is that he doesn't love me anymore...and that he cannot keep his promise to me...?_ she wailed inwardly. _There's no reason for me to run away from home anymore...to run away from the engagement..._

The hanyou was shocked to hear this. _Go back to Shiho?! _ "But we haven't found Kagome yet..." he tried to convince her, sounding a bit desperate.

"I don't want to continue this journey anymore...I'm tired...I want to go home..." Maya pleaded.

_Is she...feeling guilty for betraying her mistress???_ Inuyasha thought. "But if we return...then...then I__" [**AN:** Inuyasha wants to say that he has to fulfill his engagement to Kagome when they return, if Kagome had already returned of course.]

"I don't care!!" Maya cut him off again as she pushed herself out of his embrace and got to her feet. "Please...let me go home..."

Maya's words were like thousands needles stabbing through Inuyasha's heart. He wanted to tell her that he loved her, but realized that he was being selfish if he did that. _It's all my fault..._ he thought. _If I had only known that Kagome was Lord Takada's daughter...if only I had known I was fighting for Kagome's hand in marriage back then...things wouldn't have become so complicated... I wouldn't have started this journey...I wouldn't have met Maya...I wouldn't have...fallen in love with her..._

Inuyasha's expression saddened. _ I would have been able to fulfill my promise to Kagome without any regrets...but now..._ he wailed, as he looked Maya in the eyes. "I understand. I'll take you back to Shiho," he agreed with a voice filled with disappointment.

And so they returned to the shrine together in silence. Once Maya had completely recovered from her injuries, they set out and started their journey back to Shiho.

  
~*~

  
During their way back, both of them remained silent except when they had to cooperate during a battle.

Inuyasha kept pondering about what he should say to Kagome when he sees her, if she had already returned to Lord Takada's side that is. _How am I supposed to tell her...how am I supposed to tell her the truth...?_ he worried.

Suddenly he wasn't so sure if he wanted to see her anymore. Especially after realizing that Maya would never admit her feelings towards himself because of the guilt for betraying her mistress. _If I go back and Kagome has really returned...then we'll get married...just like I had promised her and then..._ he thought as he peeked at Maya out of the corner of his eyes. 

She was wearing her white haori and navy hakama and carried her quiver on her back while holding her black bow in her hand. She was staring at something on the horizon as she walked forward.

_Then I'll see Maya every day since she's Kagome's personal maid... Damn...how complicated would that be??_ he thought frustrated.

  
~*~  


  
In the meantime, Maya was also deep in thoughts. _Why did this have to happen to me...? First my father and friend were taken away from me, and then it was my memory that had to be suppressed..._ she thought sadly. _Just when I thought I could cope with my life since I had gotten my memory back...my only light of hope was taken away from me as well...why...?_

She glanced at the silver-haired hanyou out of the corner of her eyes. _He was with me all this time...why didn't I recognize him sooner...? Why now? Even if I didn't remember him...I still loved him...as Maya...I really do..._ she confessed to herself as she fought back the upcoming tears in her eyes and averted her gaze. _ In these past months we've experienced so many hardships and we've looked after each other countless times when we were in trouble... It was a side of him that I've never seen before..._ she thought as she remembered their battle with the snakes. 

  
_"Maya, I'll open a path for you. When I say 'run', you run as fast as you can out of this circle and bring yourself into safety, understand?"_

_"RUN!!!"_

_"Maya!!"_

_"Baka! There's no way I'm going to leave you behind!!" _

  
Kagome smiled to herself. _I guess it was then that I knew I loved him...the feeling became only stronger after I realized he was the one of my childhood...but..._ Her mental smile disappeared and a sad expression could be seen on her face. _...these feelings of mind shall never be returned._

She glanced at Inuyasha again. 

_Inuyasha...I love you so much...why did you have to do this to me...?_ she asked with an inaudible voice as she turned her attention back to the road again. _But it doesn't matter anymore...now that I know that he has chosen someone else over me...I shall return to father's side and obediently fulfill my engagement with that unknown person..._

With these thoughts, the two continued their journey back to Shiho.

  
~*~ some time later...late afternoon ~*~

  
After a couple of months, they've finally arrived at their destination. Inuyasha and Maya stood next to each other and both stared at the gate of the garden of Takada's mansion in silence.

The silence became broken when Maya decided to speak. 

"I...I guess this is goodbye..." she stammered as she opened the gate and walked inside.

"Maya!" Inuyasha halted her.

She stopped but didn't turn to look at him.

"W-why...why won't you look at me?" he asked, almost instantly catching the salty scent in the air.

"I want you to remember my smiling face...forever," she replied, sounding as normal as possible. "Goodbye Inuyasha."

With that said, she continued to walk into the direction of the mansion and disappeared behind the main entrance.

  
~*~

  
He wanted to grab her wrist and prevent her from leaving him, but he knew he couldn't convince her to stay with him if he did. _What should I do now...?_ he pondered. _Go inside and find out whether Kagome has returned or not...or should I..._

Before he was able to decide, a voice already made the decision for him.

"Inuyasha-sama!! You have returned from your journey!"

Inuyasha turned to the voice and realized it was a guard with short dark hair and dressed in a dark outfit. A katana could be seen hanging around his waist. 

"Yeah... but I failed to bring back Takada-sama's daughter..." he replied.

To his surprise, the guard suddenly laughed. "Don't worry Inuyasha-sama, milady has already returned so you've come back right on time."

Inuyasha widened his eyes. _Kagome has returned??!_ Somehow, he wasn't very happy to hear that but he was still relieved to know she was safe and sound.

His thoughts were cut off when the guard spoke again.

"Won't you come in Inuyasha-sama? I'll inform Takada-sama of your return," he suggested and before Inuyasha could refuse, he already hurried back into the mansion.

Inuyasha sighed. _I guess I have no other choice then..._ And so he reluctantly entered the garden and headed towards the main entrance.

  
-- in the study chamber of Lord Takada --

  
*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Come in," Lord Takada ordered.

Inuyasha entered the room and slowly closed the door behind him. "Sir."

"Ah! Inuyasha!! I'm so glad you have returned!!" Lord Takada smiled. "Did you know that my daughter has returned?"

"Y-yeah...so I heard from the guard. I'm relieved to hear that she has returned safely," he replied with a polite smile.

"Great! Let's get straight to the point!" the Lord stated. "The wedding will be held in two days so I'll be arranging your stay here until that day. In the meantime, I'll notify your father and brother. Do you have any problems with that?"

Inuyasha hesitated a moment before shaking his head. "No sir," he responded. _The sooner I fulfill my promise...the sooner I'll be relieved from this torment..._

Lord Takada patted his shoulder. "Good! I'm happy to have you as my son-in-law, boy!" he laughed proudly and called for a servant by clapping his hands.

"Yes milord?" a male servant entered the room and bowed deeply.

"Bring Inuyasha to the best room we have and make sure that his stay here is as comfortable as possible," he ordered.

"Yes milord," the servant acknowledged and turned to Inuyasha. "Will Inuyasha-sama be kind enough to follow me please?"

Inuyasha nodded and bowed to Lord Takada. "Then I'll excuse myself now." With that, he followed the male servant out of the chamber to the room where he will stay until the wedding.

  
-- that night --

  
"Kagome? Are you in there?" a familiar voice asked from outside her bedroom-door.

"Yeah," was her tired reply.

Kagome was sitting in her favorite corner of the room again; on a white pillow on the floor and with her back leaning against the wall. Her legs were curled up against her chest with her arms resting on her knees. She was wearing a long sky-blue-colored nightdress with long thin sleeves. 

She didn't look away from the window when Sango entered the room and closed the door behind her. "Are you okay?" she asked, noticing the unusual silence. 

She sighed in reply. "I...I guess..."

The maid raised a brow. _What had happened...?_ she wondered. It's true that Kagome came back earlier than Inuyasha, but she knew it was him who had brought her back. _She doesn't remember him yet...? Or is it that she doesn't know he's her fiancé yet? Or did something happen on their way back...?_

Her musing stopped when Kagome spoke again. "I...I found it..." she said with a sad tone. "...the promise...it was Inuyasha..."

Sango widened her eyes of surprise. _So she does remember him! B-but...why is she sounding so sad?_

"He can't keep it..." Kagome continued as she raised her head to look at Sango with a blanc expression on her face.

_Can't keep it...? What is she talking about?_ the maid thought confused.

Her mistress took a deep breath. "He...he doesn't love me anymore...there's someone else..." she explained.

Sango covered her mouth and widened her eyes of shock.

Kagome shook her head. "You know what the funniest thing is? I...I still love him...despite everything...but that doesn't matter anymore, does it...?" she said as she buried her head in her arms. "I-I'm sorry...I guess I'm a bit exhausted of the journey...c-can you leave me alone for a bit?"

Sango nodded and slowly left the bedroom.

  
~*~

  
"How is she?" Miroku asked when she saw Sango come out of the mansion.

She shook her head. "I think we better not pry into their business..." she suggested.

"I understand," he responded with a nod.

"What did Inuyasha tell you when you went to talk to him?" Sango asked.

"He didn't say much...only that he felt very guilty and that he's not worthy of her love," he replied. "And then he asked me to leave him alone."

"So it's true..." the maid sighed.

Miroku responded by pulling her to his chest and leaned his chin on top of her head. "Don't worry love, they'll be able to solve this on their own," he comforted her.

  
~*~

  
Inuyasha was lying on his burgundy-colored bed and stared at the dark ceiling.

His mind was now completely set on marrying Kagome and fulfilling his promise to her. He had decided to put his feelings for Maya aside and sacrifice his own happiness for Kagome's. 

_And this story will end...and we'll...we'll live happily...ever after..._ he convinced himself.

After repeating the same thought over and over again several times, he slowly drifted into sleep.

  
~*~ the day of the wedding ~*~

  
Kagome looked at herself in the mirror. _This is it...I will have no regrets after this day...just let this be over with..._ she decided with a firm nod to herself.

She was dressed in her red wedding gown, the same one she had worn on the day of the Battle for the bride. Her hair was beautifully tied into a flat knot on the back of her head and decorated with tiny red flowers. Thin red eyelashes graced her eyelids and her lips were sharing the same color as fresh sakura blossoms. 

_No regrets..._ she told herself once again before covering her head with a thin, red veil. Unlike the one she wore on the day of the Battle, this one was completely opaque. 

"Are you ready Kagome?" Lord Takada asked as he appeared in the doorway. 

"Yeah," Kagome nodded.

Lord Takada walked to her daughter's side and offered her his arm to guide her to the garden, where the wedding will be held. And Kagome took it without hesitation.

  
-- in the garden --

  
The garden was heavenly decorated with red and white flowers. A small, low wooden platform could be seen with a path leading to it. And there were people sitting on each side of the path. All of them came to witness the wedding of the daughter of the honorable Takada.

On the platform, a priest could be seen together with Inutaisho, Sesshoumaru and Miroku to his left and Sango to his right. The men were wearing formal navy blue haori's and hakama's and Sango was wearing a beautiful pink yukata, with her hair tied up in a loose knot on the back of her head, also decorated with small pink flowers.

In front of the priest stood Inuyasha, he was wearing an outfit that resembled his usual one. But this one was made of a darker and more expensive fabric. The sash around his waist was gold instead of red and he wasn't carrying Tetsusaiga around his waist.

Everyone became silent as Lord Takada appeared with the bride next to him. 

Inuyasha swallowed as he watched the two approaching the platform along the path. _This is it...there's no turning back now..._ he thought to himself. 

After Lord Takada successfully guided his daughter to Inuyasha's side, he left her to stand next to Sango and signaled for the priest to commence the wedding-ceremony.

The priest cleared his throat and everybody's attention turned to him.

While the preaching began, Inuyasha couldn't help but wonder how his bride looked like since he had never seen her before. But what he found most surprising was that her scent resembled Maya's very much. _Maybe she helped Kagome dress...there's no other reason for her scent to be that strong...but then..._ he thought puzzled as he scanned his surroundings. _Where is Maya...? Shouldn't she be attending the wedding as well...?_

But he wasn't the only one deep in thoughts. Kagome was also pondering about the same matter, although slightly different. She was also curious about the looks of her future husband. All she could remember was he being a jerk when they first met each other in that dark room but that was all. But there was another matter that consumed her thoughts. _Where could Inuyasha be right now...? Has he already returned to that shrine...to Kikyou's side...?_ she mused sadly. _ Or is he watching the wedding right now...from a tree from afar? _

Her thoughts were cut off when the preaching has come to the moment of the oaths.

Her heartbeat became pretty fast when the priest asked the bridegroom to take the oath. 

"I do," she heard him say. And it was that moment, which time had suddenly stopped for Kagome. _T-this voice...!!_

The priest was asking her to take the oath and everybody waited for her answer but it never came as Kagome took a small step backwards, creating more distance between herself and the bridegroom.

Slowly, Kagome raised her hand to her veil and pulled it off, causing the whole crowd to gasp since it was inappropriate for her to show her face to the bridegroom before finishing the ceremony. 

Inuyasha first watched how the red veil slowly fell to the wooden platform. His eyes slowly traveled to his bride's face and they widened of shock when they met the awfully familiar navy blue ones.

"M-Maya...?!" he gasped in disbelief. He just couldn't believe what he saw. Maya was really standing right in front of him, dressed in a wedding gown and ready to be married to him.

It came in a flash, but Inuyasha knew what had happened when he felt a sharp pain and his raised his hand to cover his burning cheek. 

Maya/Kagome had slapped him.

The whole crowd gasped and everybody watched how the bride burst into tears and ran away from the platform, out of the garden and into the forest, including Inuyasha himself.

He was still shocked by the fact that Maya was in fact Kagome, but he soon snapped back into reality with the help of his friend.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Inuyasha!! Go after her!!!" Miroku's voice sounded from behind him.

Without hesitation, Inuyasha ascended the platform in a leap and dashed into the direction where Kagome had disappeared.

  
~*~

  
After running a short while, he saw Kagome running in front of him. "Maya...no...Kagome!! Wait!!!" he cried, but he received no reply and neither did she stop running. Inuyasha didn't want to startle the girl by jumping into the air and landing right in front of her so he quickened his pace. 

And eventually he caught up with her and grabbed her wrist. "Wait Kagome," he panted.

He was surprised by Kagome's tear-filled face when she turned around to look at him. "Let me go!!" she sobbed as she jerked her wrist free, but she didn't run away anymore.

"Why are you running away from me??" Inuyasha asked confused.

"You bastard...why...why are you marrying me when you don't even love me?!" she asked angrily broken in sobs and pants.

Inuyasha widened his eyes. "Y-you were listening back then...??"

"What? You rather not have me heard that? Those words were reserved for me...right?!" she spat. "Don't you even dare to say you didn't meant to say those words!!"

The hanyou thought for a moment and frowned. "I was with you all this time and searching for you...why didn't you tell me you were Kagome!?" he asked, sounding a bit angry.

"You thought I didn't want to??" she argued, broken in sobs. "I didn't lie when I told you I had a partial memory loss...I didn't lie...when I told you we were attacked by bandits..."

Her voice faltered and she dropped her gaze until her bangs covered her eyes. "F-father...M-Maya...they were both killed before my very eyes back then...and Takada-sama saved me...and adopted me...I've only been able to recall a little bit of my childhood from that moment on..."

She looked up at Inuyasha with her face again filled with tears. "I only remembered someone making a promise to me...I didn't know it was you..." she continued in sobs. "I remembered everything when I saw the crest on your identity-plate back in the shrine...and I ran as fast as I could to see you...and then...in the garden...I saw you...and Kikyou..."

Inuyasha raised a brow. _She thinks I'm in love with Kikyou...??_ he thought surprised. "You thought...I meant Kikyou by the one I fell in love with??" he blurted out.

"You were hugging her!! H-how could I not think it was her!!" Kagome cried angrily.

She was surprised when Inuyasha suddenly put up a gentle smile on his face and started walking closer to her. She became even more surprised when he suddenly wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. _...Eh?_

"You silly girl..." he whispered in her ear. "I wasn't lying when I said I fell in love with someone else...but..."

Kagome held in her breath and closed her eyes.

"...it wasn't Kikyou..." he continued. "...it was you..."

She widened her eyes and pulled away a little to look up at Inuyasha. A puzzled expression was written all over her features.

Inuyasha raised a clawed hand and carefully wiped her tears away with his thumb. "Don't you get it...? I fell in love with Maya..." he smiled.

Kagome froze for a moment and suddenly she burst into tears again. But this time it wasn't because she was angry, it was because she remembered how foolish she was for misunderstanding Inuyasha. _Baka...Kagome no baka..._ she scolded herself as more tears flowed down her cheeks.

The hanyou smiled, as he knew what the girl was crying about and held her close to him again. 

"Kagome...?" he whispered in her ear.

But Kagome didn't respond to this, as she was still busy sobbing in his chest.

"Will you marry me?" he asked, recalling that she hadn't taken the oath yet.

He slowly pulled away a little and made the girl to look up at him with a clawed hand cupping her cheek. 

The tears had stopped flowing as Kagome formed a weak smile on her face and she nodded in his hand.

"Then...may I kiss the bride?" he asked with a gentle voice.

Before he was given an answer, Kagome already clasped his red garment and sealed his lips with hers. 

_I'll take that as a yes..._ Inuyasha smiled inwardly and returned the kiss as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer.

_I will never let you go again Kagome..._ he thought as he deepened the kiss.

_Never..._

**~* OWARI *~**

* * *

First of all, I want to thank all of you who have followed this story to its end. And I want to thank all those who have reviewed and encouraged me to go on ^-^! Thank you all very much!! 

For those who worry that I might stop writing after this one, don't worry. I've already planned what story to write, I just haven't started it yet. Below is the (temporary) description of the next story that I will work on.

Again, thank you all very much for reading and reviewing this story. I hope you all have enjoyed this story like I did when I was writing it ^-^. I also hope that the ending was satisfying ^-^.

*stretches her arms* I'm going to take a long break now...my 4th quarter had just started and things are going to get quite busy! If you want to be notified when I post my next story, just tell me and I'll add you to my emaillist ^-^. Till we meet next time!! 

Lots of greets  
~Kittymui~ 

~*~

**NEXT STORY:**

**Torn wings**  
AU/OOC. An angel from the moon descended to the Earth out of curiosity, but who would have known that the same trait would take away her ability to go back. Kag/Sess   
**_~COMING JUNE!!~_**

~*~

**Vocabulary:**

**hijin kessou:** 'Flying Claws of Blood', another claw attack used by Inuyasha  
**baka:** stupid  
**Kagome no baka: **stupid Kagome  
**owari: **the end

~*~

**REPLIES ON REVIEWS:**

**Rhexi: **Thanks, and don't worry for not reviewing ^-^ I don't mind. And things weren't exactly winding down, right?

**kit kat: **Thanks for waiting ^-^. I hope you liked the ending.

**Dragon Man 180:** *shivers* hmm no you better not do that hahaha. Kagome did indeed feel very stupid for misunderstanding Inuyasha hehehe.

**LiLsTuBbOrNgRl:** Thank you very much ^-^

**Lostinashadow:** Thanks!! I'm glad you liked it!

**Ks-Starshine: **Hahaha no need to be jealous at all ^-^, I don't think myself to be that great. I'm glad you liked reading it.

**KenshinOtaku:** They don't, do they ^-^ I'm glad someone agrees with me hehehe. Thanks for reviewing!

**Kirei Baka Kasumi: **Sorry for the torture...I hope it was worth it ^-^. I'm happy to know that you like my story so far.

**Thief of Baghdad: **No, thank YOU for reviewing ^-^. *pfew* Glad you didn't mind the cliffhanger hahaha. Thank you very much for complimenting me!!

**brazil: **Thanks! Honestly, I don't like dwelling too much on fluffy stuff, not that I don't like it, but it would become bored if I use those moments too much (at least that's what I think). Little fluffy moments would make the existing ones more special and unique, don't you think so? And I really wouldn't know what to write about when I do extend the story hehe ^-^.

**Bella-chan: **Hi Bella-chan, thanks for reading and reviewing my story. I'm glad you like it! Thanks for telling me.

**ShadowStar666:** I'm glad you understood what I explained, haha sometimes I just write things that people don't understand ^-^. 

**death is only the beginning: **Thanks!

**Clearwater-Faerie: **Hahaha don't worry, I can't make him fall in love with Kikyou even if I wanted to (which I don't) because it would be frustrating, confusing and even impossible. I hope you're satisfied with this final chapter ^-^. 

**FieryDemonFox:** It was indeed a long chapter ^-^, I hope you liked it. And you got it right ^-^.

**michelle: **Yeah...it's sad, but there will be others ^-^. Thanks for reviewing!!

**Shadow-Demon14: **Thanks for reviewing!! I'm so glad you liked all the twists and turns ^-^. I hope you liked the ending too!

**Kyia: **Thanks, I had fun writing it ^-^. 

**jessica:** Hope you liked the ending ^-^.

**nekomoongirl: **You got that right. Hehehe, it wouldn't be logical if he falls in love with Kikyou, don't you agree?

**ioka:** Thank you! Thanks for telling me!

**power2thepink: **Thanks for loving this story. How was the ending?

**Cheerful Oblivious:** You didn't really think that I would make him fall in love with her...right? Thanks for reviewing!

**osuwariIYK: **Woops, *hands over napkin* don't cry...I hate to make readers cry. Did you like the ending?

**Samieko:** Hahaha yeah I totally agree with that, but that's what also makes this story interesting (meant to make it interesting with the twists). How did you like the ending?

**~*~**

Posted: 20 April 2004  
Last Edited: 20 April 2004  
Spelling check: YES


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